Night's Children: Cetera Desunt
by Nymbis
Summary: Book 3. Aria is tired of being a goddess, she wants to try a normal life. So she runs away. But when a chance meeting on a train turns for the worse, can she truly deny her destiny when innocent lives are endangered? Finished!
1. Prolog: Eileithyia

_Night's Children: Cetera Desunt_

_**The rest is missing.**_

**AN: **Just so you know, _NC: Nox Noctis _was a big hairy man-beast of a fanfiction to write. _Cetera Desunt _is going to be (hopefully) considerably shorter. But, there should be an update once a week! Hooray!

**Summary: **Book 3. Aria is tired of being a goddess, she wants to leave the ancient war and try a normal life. So she runs away. But when a chance meeting on a train turns for the worse, can she truly deny her destiny when innocent lives are endangered?

**Prolog: Eileithyia**

_Once there was a daughter of Zeus by the name of Eileithyia. A virgin goddess known for her skills in healing, Eileithyia was eventually given the difficult task of assisting women in childbirth. She was a dualistic goddess, as she had the power to make the pains of birth relatively light or relatively excruciating. It was because of this power, that her mother, the Queen of Olympus Hera, gave her a terrible job._

_It was said that the nymph Meto was about to give birth to a set of illegitimate twins, twins rumored to be fathered by Hera's husband Zeus. Hera, a bitter and envious woman, commanded Eileithyia not to assist in the birth of Meto's children, and threatened her with grave repercussions if she did._

_Eileithyia was left with a difficult choice, torn between her duty as a goddess of healing, and her overbearing mother's wishes. Eventually, the fear of Hera forced her hand, and Eileithyia did not come to the aide of poor Meto despite her better intentions. _

_In the end, Meto was forced to give birth to her twins alone, without any medicine for the pain. The first child was a girl, a girl who later became known as Artemis, the goddess of the hunt and of the moon. It was Artemis who eventually went to her mother's aide, helping her deliver the second child, her twin brother Apollo, the sun._

_The moon goddess's actions ultimately led to her title as a goddess of childbirth, and as time progressed, Eileithyia was forgotten as a once-cherished goddess of healing, her fear causing her downfall. _


	2. Sins

_Night's Children: Cetera Desunt_

**AN: Um…nym believes in the healing power of reviews…:smiles impishly:**

Anyways, this chapter gets pretty graphic (i.e. describing injuries, vomiting) so if you are easily squeamish, I would advise skipping over the rather large 'healing' chunk.

Also, I was wondering if readers could help me out on this one- I need character names. I have personalities, backstories, and everything else lined up but I'm terrible with coming up with names (i.e. Arthur "Art" King, and Lance E. Lot, seriously- that's pathetic.), so I was wondering if you guys could suggest some for me, both male and female? They need to be uber cool, bad-ass villain names ;) I'll be sure to give you major props and whatnot!

**Chapter One: Sins**

"Hurry it up!" Hissed the leader, a black ski mask muffling his voice as he leaned over his one-man team, a flashlight in his hand, "Time's drawing short, no doubt those chicks will be showing up soon."

"Sorry boss," A burly man muttered, hunched over a standard combination safe lock, "It's delicate work." He said.

The leader rolled his eyes, unimpressed, "I don't give a shit. I want my money." He narrowed his eyes, "I'd really hate to use my powers for such nonsense." He cracked his neck from side to side, "Such things happen to make their way into public eye and the situation becomes quite taxing, you understand." His voice was clipped, cold. Through the slit in the mask one could see his eyes, black and menacing.

The fatter man swallowed, "Sorry. It'll be done in a moment."

"Good."

A burst of static erupted through the walkie talkie at the thin man's side, _"Get out of there." _A frantic baritone voice muttered, _"I see them, they're-"_ Yet another eruption severed the communication.

"You there? Come in!" Barked the leader, after a moment with no response, he sighed and clipped it back on his utility belt. "I hope you're almost done." He sneered, "We're about to have company."

Sweat beads had formed on the man's brow, "Just a minute…" he trailed off as a loud noise resonated throughout the hollow lobby.

When the doors burst open, four-silhouetted figures- obviously girls, emerged. The moonlight seemed to create a science fiction feeling, as it was the only light in the room. One of the figures tossed an unconscious man, the robbers' look out, onto the polished marble lobby floors.

"Got it." The fat man whispered meekly as the safe door popped open.

"Shit." Swore the thin man, his black eyes darting between the new arrivals.

The four figures were none other than the Daughters of Selene.

And currently, they were all in their pajamas.

"Who are these clowns?" Imy snorted, popping out one of her hips and plastering a bored expression on her face as she surveyed the scene and tapped a bunny-slippered foot against the floor.

Tessa yawned loudly, fanning herself, her curlers bobbing as she moved, "I knew these newbie Followers were stupid, but bank robbery? How lame. We got out of bed for this?"

Riley stood there motionless, her arms crossed in front of her chest, "Not impressed." She mumbled in monotone.

Aria said nothing, training her eyes to the two in front of her. The fatter man was next to the open safe door, and she unfocused her eyes, "The big guy's not a Follower," She said matter-of-factly, "But the scrawny one's an Immortal."

Imy nodded, her eyes dilating, "We're going to ask you very politely to please put the money back where you found it."

"Stealing is not very nice," Tessa reproached in a motherly tone.

The safecracker's face became a mask of horror, "Who are you people? The cops?" He cried, obviously feeling the threads of power in the air.

"Cops? Pheh." Imy snorted, waving her hand dismissively, "The cops have _nothing _on us. Ask Jacobson."

The man's face paled, "Then who are you people?" They could hear his heartbeat echo throughout the hall.

Riley quirked an eyebrow, "You do not know who we are? Strange." She sighed, "Could you please, however, keep your blind terror to yourself? It's truly irritating to have that kind of emotion floating in the air."

The thinner man narrowed his eyes and leaned against a wall, "The Chosen One?" He asked curiously, knowing it was because of the reference to her powers, "I've heard of you. I'm rather surprised the Daughters still keep you around, considering how you handed over the Atrox its crown prince."

Riley straightened, seeming as if she had been slapped. That look was quickly replaced with a look of rage, however. And soon everyone present felt fury flowing into them, as Riley wasn't even bothering to stop projecting her emotions.

Aria, who was closest to her, grit her teeth and put a hand on her shoulder. She concentrated, and the blue light that signified her powers began to pulse into Riley, trying to heal her anger in a way before she made everyone in the room go on a shooting rampage. "Calm down." She muttered.

Riley said nothing, but everyone could sense her anger subsiding. She stared at the masked man in barely concealed loathing, "Do not speak of matters you know nothing about." She whispered dangerously.

The leader snickered, "Ah, how quaint. I've hit a nerve." He spat coldly. "You're more of a Follower than I ever will be," He gave her a mock salute, "Tell dear Trysten hello for me."

Riley's lower lip was trembling in wrath, "Bold words for a Follower so low in the chain he has to rob a bank. In a mask, no less."

The other three Daughters and the fat man followed the discussion with their eyes, the fat man quivering in fear, while the other Daughters wondered if they should get involved or not. They all knew very well the effects of Trysten's sacrifice on Riley's conscience.

Ever since the incident a month ago, Riley had become more subdued than usual. She barely spoke, and never about her capture by the _Infidi_ member Tymmie, or what had exactly happened the night of the _Frigidus Ignis _ceremony. She had kept it trapped inside of her, and her fellow Daughters wondered if she would ever fully recover.

The masked man let out yet another cruel chuckle, "I have no need of this money; I simply want it." He stepped closer to the furious Daughter, "You see, _Lecta, _I have these rather unfortunate cravings for money, success, fame, women, you name it I want it." He leered at her, "Right now I'd like to see if the so-called darkest Daughter has what it takes to defeat me."

"Riley-" Imy said quietly, but Riley got into a defense position.

"I am not afraid of you." She muttered, drawing in her power from the moon, a hazy gray aura starting to surround her.

He snorted, "I can feel that," He made a gesture of his fingers going through threads in the air, "Not so great at controlling your emotions, now are we?"

"You talk too much. Shut up." She demanded crisply.

The man smiled beneath his mask, "So be it." He sneered.

"Splendid!" Chirped Tessa, rolling her shoulders, "I need a good fight."

"Stay out of this," Riley ground out, "I'll handle it."

Aria rolled her eyes and heaved a heavy groan, "Haven't we gotten passed this whole 'Riley needs no one' bit? It's getting quite irritating."

In response, Riley sent her a rather frosty glare. Aria just shook her head and ran a hand through her hair.

"You should listen to your pretty little friend," The thin man jeered, "There's no way some little half and half _dea _can beat me."

With no hint of warning whatsoever, Riley released a rather concussive looking force of emotionally charged energy straight at him. The man was able to dodge with a rather impressive feat of agility, but narrowly.

"I can take care of myself," Riley quipped, her voice once again returning to its detatched form.

The fatter, impish man, watched in sheer awestruck terror as he felt the barricade of emotions fly passed him, "What the hell are you!" He demanded, pressing his back against the vault door.

Aria snorted, "Well someone's obviously an idiot." She spat, glaring at the thin man, "Using _ordinary humans_ to do your dirty work? How pathetic." The man took no heed of her insults, so she exhaled and walked over to the fat man, "Leave. Now. You don't know what you're mixed up in." She left an opening, "Go. Before I loose my patience."

The man nodded, his chins jiggling as he picked himself up. His eyes trailed almost longingly over to the pile of cash.

"Don't even think about it," Warned Tessa, who was watching him like a hawk eyes its prey.

"You're lucky we're not turning you in to the cops," Aria commented bitterly.

He lowered his gaze at getting caught, but sighed and took off to the doors as fast as his legs could carry him. He shoved into Imy, but she took no notice, her gaze trained on Riley and the Follower.

"Hmph. Not bad _Lecta,_" He stated, grinning like a fox, "Mind if I play a bit?"

"Not at all." She replied.

He seemed to walk around in a circle, thinking, "I can see why the Atrox wants you so badly. You see, you have a rather powerful supply of raw energies, and a rather decent hold over them," He pondered out loud, "I couldn't match you power to power, we both know I'd loose."

"Riley," Imy said warningly, feeling the power shifting in the room.

"Yet you, little _Lecta_, have one crucial weakness." He continued.

Riley stood as still as a stone, rigid and calculating.

"You have power over your gifts, but not over yourself. Too much emotional damage." He stated simply.

It had happened similar to a switch flipping on. Suddenly, there was a slightest waver of power on the Follower's side, and Riley was down on her knees, clutching her head, her mouth contorted in a silent scream.

"Riley!" Cried Imy, rushing over to her. She was stopped, however, by a firm arm from Tessa.

"Don't get close to her," She whispered to her friend in pity, "Look."

Imy followed her sights to see a gray aura leaking out rapidly from around Riley. Everything it touched, it seemed to make wither and die, and she watched in terror as it wrapped around a nearby decorative plant and effectively sucked it dry.

"W-what the hell is that?" She demanded, ripping away from Tessa and pointing an accusing finger at the man, "What the hell did you do to her!"

The man smirked, "The gray? That is _Lecta_'s most abundant emotion; pain. Silly little girl, she keeps all of her less than favorable feelings bottled inside of her, just as I suspected." He gave a wolfish smile, "I simply broke the mental barrier suppressing them…all of this is by her own doing."

The girls paled, "How?" Ordered Aria.

He shrugged, "Breaking the barrier was quite easy. Let a few memories resurface, and the whole thing collapses." He snorted, "Like a dam."

"Physical pain, caused by the emotional. Interesting trick, isn't it?" He sniffed disdainfully, "She turned her own power against herself."

His explanation was cut short by a sudden blood-curling scream. Everyone, even the Follower, winced as it pierced through the silence of the night. It was unlike anything they had ever heard, animalistic and primal. Aria unconsciously hugged herself, she knew who the source of the sound was.

In an instance the gray mists dissipated into the air, and a lone, unmoving figure was spread across the marble floor of the bank's lobby, limbs jutted out at impossible angles.

The reaction was instant.

"You BASTARD!" Imy swore, her aura crackling and hissing with her rage.

The man didn't so much as bat an eyelash, his gaze trained on the fallen girl, "Hm, she held out much longer than I thought she would." He mused.

"I'll **kill **you." Imy seethed, teleporting directly behind him and swinging her fist as hard as she could, connecting to the right side of his head.

Aria's eyes landed on the prone figure that now looked nothing like Riley Zalank. Her back was to them, but Aria could see places where her shirt had split, revealing gruesome looking lacerations. The blood had soaked the remnants of her clothes, and there were a series of more scratches down the rest of her body. Her arms and legs appeared to be fractured, or broken, in several places; even her head was tilted strangely, and Aria feared she might have harmed her neck.

Now, the obvious thing to do was to go over, heal Riley as quickly as she could, and help Imy before she went and killed herself. But she stood rooted to the spot, fear and raw terror filling her as she looked at Riley. She had never seen such…carnage as this. It didn't look real; it didn't make sense. There was no way that Riley could appear that battered, she had just seen her, healthy.

Was she…was she dead?

The thought occurred to her suddenly, and she slunk down to her knees. Riley? Dead? She looked dead. That strange sinking feeling hit her stomach. She had never known anyone that had died. But, Riley couldn't be dead. She couldn't be that person there on the ground, beaten to within an inch of her life. It didn't make sense.

"Aria!" She heard yelled at her, but it seemed distant, distorted. Like it wasn't truly there.

Her eyes drifted sluggishly over to where Imy and the man were battling. That man did that to Riley, could he do that to her too? Could he do that to Imy or Tessa? If not him, what happened when the next powerful Immortal came around?

"ARIA!" The voice was louder this time, and a rough hand grabbed her shoulder and started to shake her, "Snap out of it!"

Aria exhaled slowly, and looked at the voice. Oh, it was Tessa. "Too…too much." She mumbled, resting her forehead against her palm.

"What are you talking about?" Tessa demanded, gripping Aria's forearm and forcing her to stand, "C'mon! Riley needs you!"

Aria shook her head slowly, trying clear her thoughts, "She's-? She's not dead?"

Tessa's face gained a sour expression, "She will be if you don't do something. Now."

"Okay." She muttered pitifully as Tessa pulled her up and dragged her over to the half-corpse that was Riley Zalank. Aria felt a numbness spreading throughout her limbs, and she stood there, towering over the prone figure.

She looked more horrid from the front, her face bashed in and a deep cut across her collarbone. Blood blended perfectly with the color of her hair, and plastered it to her scalp and face. Her eyelids were shut, and her chest rose and fell in a painfully slow pattern.

All Aria could do was look at the damage in amazement.

Tessa shot her a look of irritation and kneeled next to Riley, "Riley?" She whispered gently, "Can you hear me?"

Her response was Riley moaning something pitifully and coughing up a blood clot. It landed with a sick, splattering sound at Aria's feet. She bit her lip, and felt tears coming to her eyes. Riley had never appeared so pathetic or broken.

Yeah, broken was the word.

"What are you gawking at!" Tessa sneered, her voice brittle with anger, "Help her!"

Aria's heartbeat quickened and she looked at Riley once again. The tears were beginning to leak and roll down her cheeks, "I-I-" She stammered, clutching her chest and shaking.

"Damn it, Aria!" Tessa swore, "Now is not the time to freeze up like this!"

Her thoughts began to quicken, frantic and chaotic. She thought about the payment for healing wounds, how she would have to take on some of the pain and damage to herself after Riley was healed. Riley was close to death, and fear filled her core. Payback would be so terribly gruesome. She imagined herself with all of Riley's injuries.

"I can't." She said meekly, taking half a step backwards.

Her slow retreat was blocked when she felt Tessa grip her forearm tightly, her eyes were darkened and her blonde hair fell in front of her eyes, "If you leave Riley to rot just because you're scared, I will not hesitate to ensure you get the same treatment." She spoke gravely.

Aria felt her throat constricting, knowing that Tessa spoke truth, for rarely did she ever throw words around. She was beginning to breath heavily. "I don't think I can." She said, her voice quaking and trembling.

"You need to try." Her words were crisp, and pierced Aria more than any dagger could.

Aria once again looked at Riley, and she wondered if her mind was playing games on her, or if she truly didn't appear as horrid as she had moments before. She noticed that an aura of gold was hovering around her, and she then realized that Tessa was using her gift, in order to deceive and make Riley appear as if she wasn't on the brink of death. That it wouldn't take much effort to heal, and Aria gave her credit, it was a more than satisfactory illusion, but Aria could sense the pain and weakening heartbeat. Images didn't matter; Aria could feel Riley dying in her very soul.

She inwardly knew that if she hesitated another moment, Riley would be gone from them forever. She didn't want the guilt on her conscience.

She swallowed, and gripped Tessa's warm hand in her own clammy one, "I'm going to need your help." She whispered.

Tessa nodded and squeezed, "Tell me what to do." She spoke gravely.

"Give me your energy, your power." She said, "Fuel mine."

She looked confused, "How?"

"Focus and channel it, Riley did it to me once," Aria recalled the time in the hospital when she had healed Imy and Riley's friend Twiggy, and how Riley had directed her energies, "It's the only way."

Tessa nodded, but looked over to where Imy and the robber were still fighting, "But if I give you all my powers, Imy will be helpless."

Aria teased her lower lip, "It is your choice." Was all she said, thankful that the pressure was off of her shoulders for the brief moment.

Tessa looked back and forth and sighed, "Riley won't live much longer, will she?"

Aria shook her head slowly. "No. She has minutes left."

She sighed regrettably, "Don't do anything stupid Imy." She prayed, and closed her eyes.

Aria knelt close to Riley's head, and tried to ignore the stench of copper-twanged blood. She outstretched her hand, feeling her Goddess power collecting the strings of ancient magic from the air and pulling them into her. She closed her eyes to further concentration, and in her mind, she pictured her sky blue aura mingling with Tessa's gold, floating over Riley.

She began to knot back the shredded muscles, and reset the broken bones. She dissolved the blood clots that were forming in her chest, and most importantly, she began to straighten Riley's neck. It was an intense jungle of knots, tangles, and cuts, but Aria was able to work around the more vital parts, such as the broken rib that had punctured a lung.

Hours seemed to pass, and eventually she noticed the golden power diminish, and eventually disappear from hers. She began to feel the strain then, as the gray power kept festering inside of Riley, trying to eat at her own, pulling pieces away and weakening it. Aria knew that the weakening of her power would result in her taking some of Riley's injuries away with her when she was done.

Finally, Aria could take no more. She gently retreated from Riley, confident that she was now out of mortal peril.

As soon as she was inside of herself, and fully aware of her own environment, Aria threw up. She was fortunate enough not to hit Riley or Tessa, and vomited blood all over the floor. After a few moments, she began to inhale sharply, trying to compose herself. As soon as she thought it was safe to open her mouth again, she retched once more.

She had a throbbing headache, and her perception of the surroundings confused her, her vision was blurred, and she could sense that something was wrong with her arm. She slumped from her spot, and collapsed against the floor, staring at the ceiling blankly. Her breathing was rapid, and she absently wiped the blood away from her mouth.

Her ears heard the distant sounds of Imy and the Follower still fighting. She heard a crashing noise, like a vase breaking into a million tiny pieces, followed by a moan of pain that sounded horribly similar to a girl's voice.

She let her eyes drift sluggishly over to Tessa, and wasn't that surprised to see her passed out, face down, next to Riley, who now had also lost consciousness.

It began to dawn upon her that she was the only Daughter left.

She pushed herself up to stand, despite the throbbing pain in her left forearm, which she had now assumed was fractured, and the cloudy state of her mind. She would go down standing, at the very least. After all, she was the most prideful of the four.

She could see the blurred figure of the Immortal coming towards her slowly, could sense the laughter in his tone when he spoke to her.

"Beaten already? I haven't even touched you yet."

She said nothing, but got into a fighting stance and spit out some excess blood that was still in her mouth. She hoped that Selene would give her enough strength to at least give the bastard a sound punch in the face. Right into that smug expression.

The man was close now, so close she could hear his breathing, "So which one are you? The Healer, or the Illusionist?" He asked curiously, deducting her power from the previous ones he had battled. She felt the tingle in her skull that represented his intrusion of her mind, "Ah, the Healer. The one with the power worthless for fighting."

Aria only answered him with silence, and decided now was the time to strike, she swung her left fist around towards his head, and wasn't surprised when he blocked it, clamping his cold, clammy hand around her wrist. She hissed in pain when his grip tightened, aggravating the fracture.

"Tsk-tsk," The man muttered condescendingly, "All of you new Daughters are _so _corrupt." He snorted, "The _Lecta_ with the sin of Acedia, the Teleporter with the sin of Fury, and I don't need to be a telepath to know that the blonde is a drug addict, a person with a craving so bad they let nothing stand in the way of getting what they want, addicts are always _so_ full of Avarice." He shook his head at her, "You're possibly the worst of all," He sniffed her in a fashion similar to a dog, "I can smell the reek of Vainglory all over you."

She clenched her teeth and tried to release his hold, "What in the hell are you talking about?"

He smiled, "Hell has everything to do with it."

"Just do what you're going to do." She growled, "Don't waste my time."

"As you wish." He spoke coyly, tilting her head up, "I will cross you over first, little Healer."

She gnawed on her lip, and waited for the worst to happen.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

But it didn't. Time seemed to freeze in place, everything viewed through a slow-motion camera. The man holding her arm hostage was stuck in one position. Aria struggled and finally achieved prying his claw he called a hand off of her arm. She stumbled down to the floor, but picked herself up, thankful to be free of the Follower.

It was then that her surroundings clued into her, and Aria realized that the moonlight had entered the entire place, illuminating it majestically. She basked in it, feeling as if it was calling her home. She felt her wounds start to heal, mending without any pain. Her vision cleared, and she sensed a resurgence of her gift, her amulet glowing blindingly.

What was happening?

"_Mater Luna?"_ She questioned, knowing only she had this sort of power.

A strange sound that resembled laughter filtered through the once morose surrounding. And Aria turned around to see a beautiful woman, clad entirely in white and walking towards her.

"Not exactly." Was all she said, her voice deep and melodious.

"Did you, did you do this?" Aria asked in wonderment, remarking about the freeze in time.

The ethereal figure nodded, "But it is only temporary. If I had not stepped in, this entire generation of Daughters would have been lost." She lowered her gaze almost shamefully, "It was the least I could do."

"Why?"

Her face turned grave, "I did it so you could heal your wounds and charge your power. This man," She gestured to the immobile Follower, "Is ten times stronger than any Daughter could hope to be." Her gaze darkened, "Fighting him will bring serious repercussions to you."

Aria gaped, "Why just me? I haven't even touched him yet!"

She shook her head, sending golden curls everywhere, "You are the only one who can destroy him."

"I don't understand." She muttered.

"And you won't." The woman agreed, "Not yet." She paused, "You will have to face several trials, before you can even hope to understand. You are blocking yourself from your destiny, Aria, hesitating before taking the final jump into acceptance." She lowered her head, "In the end, if you continue in your uncertainty, you will bring about the demise of the fellow Daughters."

Aria winced, "Why are you telling me this?"

The lady sighed, "You will not remember this conversation. Not until we meet again. It is better that way."

Her eyes widened, "How is that better?"

"Because there are things that someone can only discover for themselves." She replied smoothly, "You will either commit yourself to Selene like the others, or you will not. No one can force you down your path, it must be walked alone. You need to heal the inner doubt inside of you Aria, much like you heal the evil pains within others."

"But-" Aria stopped as she saw the moonlight beginning to recede, and the passage of time reviving.

The lady's eyes widened in fear, "I have stayed too long already." She whispered, and she seemed to think for a moment, considering something, "I will leave you a few words to remember, words that will helpfully keep you safe during your decision."

The darkness had spread, and the Follower was beginning to blink slowly.

"_Aut disce aut discede, aude sapere,_" She warned softly, "_Either learn or leave, but dare to know."_

And that was all Aria heard before everything vanished in a flash of searing light.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Aria was shocked to find herself standing a few feet away from the Follower who had previously held her in a death grip. She blinked a few times, looking around, how had that happened?

The man swore, "What the hell-?" He looked at the fallen figure of Imy, "I thought there was only one teleporter." He then shifted his gaze to her, "And you! You've completely healed!"

Aria dry swallowed. She knew it was true, her powers were also feeling recharged, stronger maybe. She shifted awkwardly, she was just as in the dark as the Follower.

She looked at her companions, and grimaced when she saw how mangled they were. Imy was collapsed against a marble pillar of the lobby, her head dropping and some blood spilling out of the corner of her mouth. Tessa looked as if her entire life force had been drained from her, a graying ghastly look imprinted on her features. And Riley, despite Aria's efforts, still maintained many scratches and the lacerations on her back. But Aria sighed in relief when she realized they were all superficial harms.

She was the only force that stood in the way of this Follower and her…somewhat sisters.

Aria tensed yet again, preparing to fight the man, "I can't let you get away." She whispered.

The man let out a barking laugh, "And what are you going to do about it? You're weak, with pathetic powers." His momentary shock discarded for malcontent.

She bit her lip, "It doesn't matter."

He snorted, "Of course it matters." Then, without warning, he sent a roundhouse kick to Aria's abdomen, sending her sprawling a few feet back. She landed with a hard thud, and the wind was knocked out of her. "See that? Can't even defend yourself against physical blows."

She concentrated her power, making her pain evaporate, but it took a fraction of a second too long. The Follower now leaned over her, his hot breath showering her face, "I don't know how you pulled off that last stunt, but now you're meat." He once again gripped her arm.

Aria froze like a deer caught in the headlights, knowing she was done for this time, she aimed a poor kick at his knee, but he blocked it easily. She swore; she was doomed. Defeated with one blow.

"Silly little girl," He spat, his evil aura beginning to crackle around him.

Aria began to prepare for her true demise, when she stopped. A thought had just occurred to her, a last stand of sorts, _"_Dare to know_."_ She whispered.

The man rose an eyebrow, "What?" He muttered harshly.

She turned her face to his, and her eyes lit up, _"Aude sapere." _She repeated, "I may be a Healer, but that doesn't mean I can not destroy you." She closed her eyes and repeated the phrase like a mantra, focusing her powers onto the Follower's hand.

"Heal the doubt, heal the evil." She continued, not knowing where these thoughts had occurred, but smiling when an inner voice reassured her that this would work. The blue light began to crackle and hiss like electricity, and the man tried to recoil, but she gripped onto him.

He soon began to writhe in pain, thrashing wildly to get away from her. Her blue light attacking his inner darkness like an antibody, cleansing away the dirtiness from his soul.

She was using her power to purify him, to eliminate the Atrox's influence.

"NO!" He cried, dropping to his knees and clutching his head, "NONONONONONO!"

"Yes." Aria replied, her voice low and harsh as she felt all of her anger flow into the attack.

His body was beginning to smoke slightly, minor burns appearing on his skin. "AHHHH!" He screamed in pain, curling into the fetal position.

As soon as she could feel the darkness leaving him, she dropped her hand, the blue light vanishing. She wobbled slightly where she stood, exhausted from such an exertion of her gift.

The Follower lay, unconscious, on the floor. Smoke rising from his clothes.

She stared at the man, and she could sense that her ploy had worked, he had been healed from his own inner darkness. She stared at her hands, bloodied from touching Riley, and she exhaled slowly. These hands held a power, one that would surely mean serious repercussions from the Atrox. Yet she had saved a man, in a manner of speaking. She looked back to the masked man, he was covered in burns and unconscious, but she knew he was alive. She had beaten a Follower for the first time on her own.

It was then, in that moment of victory, that Aria began to hear the sirens.

She paused, and turned around slightly when she heard the doors burst open, her energy all gone.

She recognized the first cop, Jacobson. He walked up to her immediately after seeing the damage, "What the hell has gone on here?" He demanded in his continuously gruff voice.

"Bank robbery." She responded dumbly, numb to everything that had just occurred tonight.

"Were there," His voice dropped, "Were there Followers?"

She nodded and nudged the unconscious masked man with the toe of her slipper. "The others will need a hospital."

Jacobson grunted, "What about you? You're a mess."

She gave a grim smile, "I'll be ok. Just let me go back home."

"Long night?" Jacobson asked without sympathy.

"The worst." She replied, before collapsing on the ground sluggishly from exhaustion.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

There's been this rumor floating around that Lynne's cancelled the SOTD series, can anyone confirm?

This chap's out a little earlier due to the fact that I will be incredibly busy this weekend. Enjoy!

**Next Up: **Trying circumstances and a panic attack steer Aria into a decision she may find herself regretting forever.

Till next time!

!nym!


	3. Acedia

_Night's Children: Cetera Desunt_

**Chapter Two: Acedia**

Footsteps. Aria could hear them plopping against the floor rhythmically, and she stilled her breath. The footsteps grew louder, closer. She murmured something, and opened then closed her mouth slowly, grimacing as she noticed the disgusting taste and dryness of it. She paused as suddenly her wits returned to her, she was in a bed, and she had been sleeping.

She heard distorted, muffled voices coming from down the hallway, and she strained to hear them, although it was to no avail. The words were too garbled.

Carefully, she cracked her eye open, glancing around her surroundings. She froze. This was not her room; she did not know where she was. There were orange Christmas lights, and colorless posters donned the walls. Aria gripped the sheet, realizing it was some type of day glow green in color, not the blue ones with clouds that she had on her own bed. She sat up abruptly, and then noticed that what she was wearing was not her own clothing either. Some gray flannel pants and a holey, old shirt. Where was she?

And then the events of the night prior hit her. The fight, she recalled, panic and nausea filling her at the same time as she remembered the other Daughters and their injuries. She blanched when she pictured Riley and all of the blood…

It was then that the door to the bedroom slowly creaked open, and she tensed in fear, expecting the worst. Yet the first thing Aria noticed was the golden, tousled, mop of hair that peered in. She exhaled in relief.

"Tessa." She whispered, grimacing as she noted the coarse sound of her voice.

"We were wondering if you were going to wake up," Tessa said quietly, easing into the room. Her hair was mussed, her clothes unclean and wrinkled.

"We?" Aria questioned, confused.

"Me and Jimena." Tessa muttered, opening the door fully, "Jacobson brought us to her place instead of the hospital," She gestured to the room, "We thought you'd sleep better in Riley's bed."

Aria shuddered. Riley's bed. It suddenly felt as if Tessa were talking about a ghost, and that Aria had been sleeping in some twisted form of a coffin. Realization slowly dawned upon her, "Why didn't Riley sleep in her own bed? After last night…" She trailed off, not willing to revisit those memories twice in one morning.

Tessa shifted awkwardly between her feet, "Riley and Imy…"

Aria felt raw terror come upon her, "Are they-?" She let her question hang in the air, afraid to ask it fully and hear the honest answer.

Tessa shook her head immediately, "No, they're not…" She couldn't seem to finish the unsaid statement either, "But they came close. Too close." She exhaled, and Aria noticed the slight tremor in her breathing, "Jimena's been on the phone with the hospital for at least an hour now, trying to check up on their conditions."

"How, how bad is it?" Aria asked with fear.

"I don't know." Tessa answered honestly, "They won't let anyone but family see them yet. Jimena's working on clearing a visit. But we…" She trailed off and looked at Aria straight in the eyes, "We wanted to wait for you to wake up."

It suddenly seemed as if a ball of tacks had found their way to Aria's throat, "You want me to…to heal-"

"No." Tessa stated, but the look in her eyes implied the opposite, "Jimena thought that maybe the four of us together would somehow help their recovery." Her tone gave away her rather nihilistic attitude towards Jimena's theory.

Aria nodded numbly, "Last night was-"

Tessa held up her hand, effectively cutting her off, "There's no need to say it. We did our best, we were just…outmatched," The way she admitted it seemed painful. "Outmatched and unprepared." Her blue eyes darkened, "But that bastard got what he deserved." She hissed, "Followers are scum, all of them. If it were up to me, there'd be no more of this ridiculous non-violent approach to stopping them, they'd be wiped out. All of them."

Aria stared at her in shock as the words came. The idea of turning cruel or malicious was the one principle the Daughters of the Moon solely rejected. To become like the Atrox in that respect was the cardinal thing they were supposed to avoid. Yet, the way Tessa was talking, full of anger, and full of hatred implied that she would readily use the Followers' tactics against them without any regret.

"I'm sorry," Tessa blurted out, causing Aria to let out the breath she had been holding, "It's just…when I saw Riley," She shuddered, "It just made me mad, you know? I hate being weak, I hate being out of control." Tessa sent her a meaningful look, "Last night, I was both. And now Imy and Riley are in the hospital." Her fist clenched, "I let my anger get the better of me sometimes." She relented.

"It's…" Aria started, but then trailed off, not knowing if she had the authority to absolve Tessa. She herself let her fear or pride control her, last night she had been too afraid to help Riley, if not for Tessa's prodding, she probably wouldn't have. "We both need to work on some things." She whispered instead.

Tessa looked as if she was about to say something, but the door opened.

Jimena stood before both of the girls, a phone clenched in her hand. She looked a wreck. Her light blue bathrobe was starting to fall off of her shoulders, her black hair was tangled, and her eyes were baggy underneath her glasses. It was quite obvious to Aria that Jimena hadn't had a good night's sleep in a while.

"I just got off the phone with the hospital," Jimena started, leaning against the doorframe. Her voice was hoarse, "They're going to let us see Riley and Imy at about noon." She paused, seeming to scrutinize Aria, "Do you feel alright?" She asked, gently enough, but there was an undertone to her statement that implied she needed to be taken seriously.

Aria hesitated, and then sighed, "As well as can be expected."

"Hmph." Was all she said, no tone of emotion attached, Jimena's eyes trailed to Tessa, "And you?"

Tessa gave a noncommittal grunt, leaning her head back against the wall and breathing deeply.

Jimena pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a languish breath, "Why don't you two go out and grab yourself some breakfast?" She asked with concern, "You've got to be hungry."

"I don't think-" Tessa started, but Aria cut her off.

"Ok," She agreed softly, desperate to get out of this room, and away from the atmosphere of crushing guilt she felt pressed upon her. She wanted to forget, if even for a moment.

Tessa shot her a frosty look with her cold, blue eyes but bit her lip and inclined her head slightly in what was supposed to be a nod. "We won't be long." She muttered.

"Do you have a change of clothes?" Aria asked Jimena as politely as she could, not wanting to go out wearing the old pajamas.

Jimena seemed taken aback by her innocent question and blinked a few times, "The only clothes I have that would fit you belong to Riley." She paused, "You can borrow a shirt or something."

She made her way over to the dark oaken drawers, pulling one open then immediately shutting it after she discovered it was Riley's underwear drawer. Jimena eyed her like a hawk as Aria rifled through the few clothes Riley owned, content on finding something tolerable amidst the muck of bulky sweaters, ripped black shirts, far too baggy jeans, and long underwear.

Tessa just sneered at Aria's intrusion of Riley's belongings, crossing her arms over her chest and stomping out of the room. On her way out, the blonde sent a dark look to Jimena, then back to Aria, rage clinging to her like static.

Aria was oblivious to Tessa's anger, focusing instead on the one act of normalcy that the day would bring as she managed to take out a plain, solid gray tank top and a pair of black pants that weren't four sizes too big for either herself or Riley. Aria sent a look to Jimena, who was still leaning in the doorway, that implied she was going to change.

Her mentor simply sent her an incredulous look before shifting her weight off of the doorframe and following the direction Tessa had taken.

Aria stood in front of a mirror after she had dressed, attempting to muss her hair so she'd look presentable. If she had taken notice of it, she would have been able to tell that her nails were raking along her scalp a lot harder than they usually would have.

She stared at her reflection blankly, her eyes held bags under them, making her feel washed out and old, and she noticed now how pale her normally caramel-colored skin was looking in the morning light. Numbly, she let a hand grab her moon pendant, her thumb gently gliding over the etchings in the miraculous stone. There was a moment where some sort of contemplative look crossed her face before she let her hand drop the pendant behind the tank top, effectively hiding the necklace.

Slowly, she walked out into Jimena's living room/kitchen, where she saw Tessa and Jimena discussing something heatedly under their breath, as soon as Jimena's eyes flickered up and saw Aria standing there she immediately halted the conversation, giving a bright smile that betrayed the darkness gathering in her eyes.

"There's a diner just down the street, I gave Tessa some money." She stood up and calmly brushed herself off, "As soon as you return, we'll head over to the hospital."

Tessa stood up, her arms crossed as she looked at Aria expectantly. "You're preened?" She muttered.

Aria bit back the insult, and simply rose an eyebrow, "You're going out in _that?_"

The blonde was wearing dark gray sweatpants that had elastic bands around the ankles with flip flops, a far too oversized tee shirt with a faded car logo on the front, and her hair was chaotic, obviously not having seen a brush any time current. Tessa simply sneered, raking her blonde hair into a ponytail to keep it out of her face, and stalked towards the door.

Aria followed her and as she exited she swore she almost heard Jimena say, "Just don't kill each other while you're gone."

The walk to the diner down the road was silent, as Tessa stomped angrily, her hands jutted firmly in her pockets, and she seemed to be having a staring contest with the concrete of the sidewalk.

Aria ignored her partner's obviously less-than-enthused look as she held her chin high for she had effectively blocked out the previous night's events and was now concentrating on clinging to some bit of normalcy. She noticed with disgust that Tessa was receiving some sniggers and she had the gall to be embarrassed and wishing she had come alone. Tessa paid them no heed, concentrating on something other than her surroundings.

Robotically, the blonde Daughter of the Moon pushed open the door to the place, sauntering over to an empty booth and not even bothering to wait for seating. Aria rolled her eyes at her impossible attitude before following her and taking a seat across, shifting uncomfortably on the vinyl upholstery.

Within moments, a harassed looking lady dressed in a 1950s getup chewing viciously on gum, approached, a notepad in hand. Aria scrutinized her, she had a heavily made-up face that seemed to emphasize the telltale crow's feet at her eyes rather than hide them, and there were several buttons with stupid phrases pinned to her uniform. Her nametag revealed her as 'Toots'.

"What do you ladies want today?" Despite her appearance, her voice was relatively polite.

"Coffee." Muttered Tessa, not even making eye contact as she stared out the window.

Toots didn't even bother to scribble down the order, "And you?" She asked Aria.

"Pancakes," she responded automatically, then added, "And some hot coco."

"Whipped cream?"

"No thanks."

She scribbled down the order and placed it in her apron, "Alright, I'll be right back with the coffee." She said, turning around as Tessa gave an apathetic grunt.

Aria sighed, crossing her arms and leaning back, "You know, you don't have to be so rude."

Tessa sent a vicious glare her way and decided that would end the conversation.

But Aria was nothing but persistent, "She was just doing her job, you could have at least muttered a thank you."

"Just shut up, Aria," She seethed.

Aria wanted to make a reply, but she was cut off as Toots returned, placing two ceramic mugs facedown on the table with a thermos/pitcher contraption.

"Thank you," Tessa bit out, making it sound like a curse instead of a showing of gratitude.

Toots stared at her wide-eyed for a moment before clearing her throat and turning around, heading back to the kitchen area.

"Great, now you've scared her," Aria commented once she was sure she was out of hearing range.

"Excuse me for being in a bad mood right now," She replied nastily, her voice quavering which indicated that she was on the verge of an outburst.

"There's no need to take it out on others-"

But Aria was cut off as Tessa slammed her mug on the table, "At least _I'm_ acting like something's wrong!" She spoke loudly, not yet yelling.

"You're acting like a toddler!" Aria responded.

Tessa's grip tightened, and Aria could see her left hand moving slightly towards the cutlery, "_You're _the one acting like a child Aria!" Now her voice had escalated, and people were beginning to turn and look in their direction, "Always running, always pretending! I'm getting _so _fucking **sick of it!**"

"I'm not running from anything Tessa!" Aria screeched, "And stop yelling, you're making a scene!" She yelled back just as loudly.

Now, the entire diner had their attention focused on the pair of teens.

"SO WHAT?" Tessa bellowed, her face flushing from anger, "I'LL MAKE A GODDAMN SCENE IF I WANT TO!"

"**YOU **ARE SUCH A **FREAK**!" Aria could feel her face heating up, embarrassed but extremely pissed off at the same time.

"_I'M_ THE FREAK? THEY ALMOST **DIED** AND YOU DON'T GIVE A RAT'S ASS!"

Something about Tessa's words made her embarrassment freeze, a cold fury overtaking her, "You don't know what the hell you're talking about." She hissed between her clenched teeth, her shrieking dropping down to a dangerous whisper.

Tessa's lip quirked, and she began to speak, before someone beat her to it.

"You know," Came a deep, lazy drawl from behind Aria, "If you two carry on like this, they're going to call the cops." Both of the girls froze in recognition of the voice, "And I'm sure the last thing Selene's lackeys want is a criminal record."

The curly haired Goddess slowly turned around, fear filling her as she was met with cold gray eyes, "Tymmie." She muttered.

A cigarette was perched between his lips, his black hair slicked back and slightly greasy with bangs falling into his eyes. His hands were placed laxly in the pockets of his ankle-length trench coat as he stared at her.

"What the hell do you want?" Tessa growled.

His pierced lip twitched slightly before he shrugged casually, "Just stopping by to say 'hello'." He commented caustically.

"Then leave," Tessa commanded, Aria was trying desperately to keep from shaking, her memories of last night's battle with another powerful Follower circulating in her mind.

He snorted, taking a drag of his cigarette, "Where's Riley?" He asked, and Aria was slightly confused by the genuine interest in his tone.

At the stating of her name, the pair froze, and Aria could practically see the blood drain from Tessa's face.

When he was met with silence, a darkened look crossed his face that neither Tessa nor Aria missed, "Where?" He reiterated, his voice icy and final.

Fear once again gripped Aria, "Hospital," She muttered, she saw Tessa gape at her incredulously.

"Are you an idiot?" She blurted, "This is _Tymmie_, the same punk that kidnapped her last month! She's powerless, he could kill-"

Her rambling was cut off as Tymmie cut in, his tone nasty, "As honored as I am by your high expectations of me, believe it or not, I'm not the type to take advantage of hospitalization," A cruel smirk appeared on his features, "Unless, of course, it's to my favor."

"You wouldn't-" Aria stammered.

Tymmie laughed and was about to reply, when he too, was suddenly interrupted, "Excuse me Sir," Came none other than Toots, "I'm going to have to ask you to put that out," She stated, gesturing first to the cigarette perched on his bottom lip and then to the red 'NO SMOKING EVER' sign on the far wall.

He huffed and turned on his heel, "I was just leaving," He muttered, stalking off, before turning abruptly around, "Give Riley my best wishes," He stated, "I'd send her a card, but if you couldn't tell, I'm not exactly a Hallmark kinda guy." His eyes then shifted to the now terrified waitress, "Boo!" He yelled suddenly, smirking when she jumped back slightly.

He winked at the two Goddesses, "See you around." He proclaimed before disappearing out the door.

Aria shivered as soon as he had departed, "Creep." She whispered.

For once, Tessa didn't argue.

Toots then turned her attention to the girls, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you two to leave as well," She mumbled warily, as if expecting another explosion like earlier.

Tessa just nodded, placing three bills on the table for the coffee as she stormed out of the diner, Aria following her after giving her patented 'I'm sorry' pout to poor, overworked Toots.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"You two look like crap," Jimena declared bluntly as the pair sauntered back into her apartment, "And you were only gone about ten minutes." Her stance became intimidating, and even Tessa felt herself shirking back slightly, "What happened?"

Tessa and Aria looked at each other guiltily and remained silent.

Jimena cleared her throat, her arms crossing over her chest and portraying her lack of patience, "Well? No blood, and all your limbs are connected, so I assume you didn't kill each other like I had anticipated."

At Jimena's descriptions, Aria was once again reminded of the incident that had occurred last night and she felt as if she were about to be sick once again.

It was Tessa, noticing Aria's blanching face that had spoken up, "We ran into Tymmie at the diner." She admitted.

The ex-gangster's eyes widened, "What happened?" She demanded.

"Aria, being an _idiot,_" Tessa shot her a venomous glance and Aria had to bite back the retort forming, "Told him that Riley was at the hospital."

Jimena swore and began talking in rapid Spanish to herself, something the girls noticed she only did when _extremely_ enraged, before mentally calming down, "Did he specify what he wanted?"

Aria just shook her head, "He only wanted to know where she was."

Jimena stroked her chin thoughtfully, "Which implies that he knew she wasn't at home," Her gaze narrowed, "Which also indicates that he's been keeping an eye on my apartment."

Silence overtook the two as they processed this, knowing that if Tymmie was watching Jimena's apartment, it meant much more trouble for not only Riley, but for the rest of the Daughters as well. Jimena's place was where they practiced and honed their gifts, strategized, and basically anything else connected to Selene was exercised there. If Tymmie knew where Jimena lived, he also pretty much knew every damned thing about the Daughters as well.

"Not good," Observed Tessa.

Jimena sent her the trademark '_well, no shit_' look before sighing and saying, "We need to go to the hospital quickly, if for nothing else than to ensure Imy and Riley's safety."

"And pulse," Aria whispered this to herself, but Tessa overheard and gave her another nasty look. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

Jimena continued her plan, "After we've made our visit, we'll try and reduce visitors to only us, and Imy's parents." She paused, "It more than likely won't do any good should Followers decide to attack Imy and Riley, but it will present an obstacle." She began to count on her fingers, "After that, you two need to get a hold of your own families. I've already discussed the situation with Gordon, and he's managed to erase all connections between you four and the robbery, plus he's provided a cover story for the Follower as well."

Tessa's blue eyes widened, "I totally forgot about Ezra, he's going to go ballistic on me." It was a well known fact within the Daughters' circle that Tessa's older brother and guardian was extremely protective of his little sister, and constantly paranoid that she would return to her old habits of staying out all night to party and pop ecstasy or drop acid.

Aria thought of her own family, surely her own mother would be having an aneurysm by now. More than likely her father too.

Jimena cleared her throat, redirecting their attention, "Are you ready?" She asked crisply, to which both girls nodded. "Then lets go."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"And whose room are you looking for?" The receptionist said cheerily as she looked up from the computer screen to address Jimena.

"Riley Zalank, I'm her guardian Jimena Castillo," She replied smoothly, leaning on the counter as both Tessa and Aria sat down in the waiting room, Tessa's arms were crossed and she looked incredibly grouchy as Aria appeared to be her counterpart, smiling and even humming a bit.

But appearances were deceiving. In reality, Tessa was eagerly anticipating seeing Imy and Riley to ensure their safety, and she was only irritated with the long wait, whereas Aria was actually dreading the confrontation. The polished linoleum and the smell of sterilization that seemed to cling everywhere was driving her insane, her memories drifting back to the last time she had been to a hospital, when she had saved Twiggy from a fatal brain hemorrhaging.

"Room 123," Answered the receptionist, "Can I help you with anything else?"

"Imy Ormond, please, I've already cleared a visit for her as well." Jimena prompted.

The sounds of keys being punched echoed throughout the eerily silent room before she stated, "Room 126, it's actually the room right across from Ms. Zalank's." She said, giving a smile that was all teeth.

Jimena nodded, "Thank you." She swiveled on her heel and faced the pair, "Ready?" She asked, not expecting an answer but receiving two nods in return. "Good."

The trio was silent as they walked down the hallway to the designated rooms. Aria simply walked numbly, her brain trying to calm down the panic that was overtaking her. She didn't want to be here right now, she wanted to be safe at home in her big comfy bed, not going to see two of her 'sisters' that had just rebounded back from the brink of death. Aria wasn't stupid; she knew what was expected of her on this trip. She could tell from the look in Jimena's eye to the expectant tone Tessa used when she addressed Imy or Riley's conditions.

They expected her to heal both of them, to send them back on their merry, fighting-immortal-evil way.

In truth, a small part of Aria most definitely didn't want to heal them. The images of the night prior haunted her, from the disgusting display of Riley's self-inflicted injuries, to the sight of all three of the Daughters of Selene weak and powerless at her feet. To heal them would be to send them back to the trauma and the constant danger of death, imprisonment, or enslavement to the Atrox. Aria herself no longer wanted to be a part of it.

"Jimena!" Came a frantic voice as an older brunette came flying at the girls' mentor, breaking Aria's introspection, "I'm so glad you're here! I have no idea what happened, when I got a call from the hospital this morning I feared the worst-" The woman was clearly hysterical as she gripped Jimena in a tight hug.

"Catty, calm down, Imy's going to be fine," Jimena reassured the lady.

Aria stared at the lady named 'Catty'. She had dark brown hair that was cut above her shoulder in a style more suited for a punk rocker than a middle-aged woman. Her eyes, almost the same shade as Imy's, were a light brown and framed in pointed glasses. Between the exuberant aura that seemed to cling to her like static, and the facial features, Aria automatically deducted that this was Imy's mother.

"Jimena," Came a weary voice from the hall. Aria turned to see a good-looking, clean-cut man also in his middle ages and she resisted the urge to snort at what polar opposites Imy's parents were.

"Kyle, can I speak to you in private for a moment?" Jimena said, and the two shared a knowing look as they muttered some polite 'excuse me's' and wandered to the end of the hall.

Catty looked at the pair in confusion for a moment before directing her attention to the two girls, "Are you girls Imy and Riley's friends?" She asked gently.

Tessa's nod was immediate while Aria's was more undecided.

"What are your names?" Catty inquired politely.

"I'm Tessa Lockland, and that's Aria Anderson-Moore."

Catty's eyes widened, "Tianna's daughter?"

Hesitantly, Aria nodded, wondering how this seemingly crazy lady knew her mother.

"I haven't seen you since you were six!" Catty exclaimed, reminding Aria of some type of wayward relation, like the stereotypical psychotic aunt, "You probably don't remember me, but your mother and I were close friends in high school."

_Fascinating,_ she muttered to herself, but outwardly she smiled brilliantly, "That's cool! I never get to hear about my mom's high school days!"

"How's Imy?" Cut in Tessa, grimly reminding Catty of the situation.

Her lips pressed into a thin line and her big brown eyes were sorrowful, "As well as can be expected, whatever happened last night aggravated her bad shoulder," She cleared her throat, "The doctors told me it had dislocated again, and her ribs aren't as strong after the car accident a while back, so they're bruised as well, one may even be cracked, the x-rays haven't been returned yet." Her voice was beginning to shake, and both Tessa and Aria understood the connection between her and Imy was a strong one, "And…" Her voice trailed off, "And both Imy and Riley are in comas."

The silence that statement was met with was thunderous, as Tessa and Aria stared at the brunette in wide-eyed shock. "How?" Aria blurted, knowing for a fact that there was no physical justification for such a coma.

Catty shook her head, "Everyone's completely at a loss about what's causing them, as neither a doctor nor a surgeon has observed anything unusual about their injuries." She inhaled slowly, "They're hypothesizing that these comas are self-induced."

Tessa's mouth dropped open, "That doesn't make any sense!" She stammered.

Catty pressed a hand to her forehead, "I didn't understand it myself, but…" She looked at the two teenagers before waving her hand dismissively, "No, never mind."

"Never mind what?" Tessa prompted.

The older woman chewed her lip, "You're going to think I'm crazy but…" She let out a breath, "There's this dark aura surrounding both of them…like really, _really _bad karma."

Aria's eyebrows shot up to her forehead, knowing it sounded like a Follower's influence. She turned slightly to see Tessa mouth the name 'Tymmie' in fury.

It was at that moment that Jimena strode towards them, looking for once frazzled and out of control, very out of character for the professional and almost prim Magna Mater the girls were familiar with. Behind her came Imy's father, his face red and a vein throbbing in the corner of his forehead.

"Jimena? Kyle? What's up?" Catty asked, scrutinizing them carefully.

Imy's father sent Jimena a dark glare, "Jimena's just told me that the cops suspect Riley and Imy were attacked by a…" His voice trailed off and his glare intensified, "A gang."

Catty paled, "How do they know?"

Jimena cleared her throat, "A police officer informed me that the girls were discovered downtown," Her eyes narrowed, "On streets that I'm very familiar with, if you understand my meaning."

"But…" Imy's mother trailed off, "But that doesn't seem right…Imy _knows _better, Riley too…After, after what happened with Vanessa she wouldn't be so stupid-" Her voice cracked and trailed off as she stood there awkwardly, hugging herself, her once exuberant attitude effectively killed.

"Catty," Kyle said, his voice loosing its previously biting quality as he gently laid his hands on his wife's shoulders, "You're tired, let's go down to the cafeteria and get some coffee," He coaxed, once again shooting Jimena an enraged stare, to which she only met with equal intensity.

Catty numbly nodded, allowing her husband to steer her down the hall. Jimena watched the pair fade into the distance before turning to the Daughters, "Let's go see to Riley first," Her voice was surprisingly gentle.

"Did you hear what Imy's mom was saying about a coma?" Tessa said bitterly, her fists clenching at her sides, "She says they're surrounded by _dark vibes._" She hissed, "Tymmie beat us to them! That bastard did something to Riley and Imy, I know it!" She spat.

Jimena cleared her throat, "Calm yourself down Tessa, and try to remember we are at a hospital."

"How can you be so collected at a time like this?" The blonde seethed.

Their mentor froze, "Because if I'm not, you all will fall to pieces," She responded honestly, and Tessa was immediately quieted.

"Why was Imy's father so angry?" Aria whispered.

Jimena sighed, "Let's just say that he now knows Imy's a Daughter of the Moon, and he isn't too happy about it."

"You told him!" Tessa cried.

"He's very familiar with the war between Selene and the Atrox," She stated, "And he's had his suspicions about Imy being a Daughter since her last 'accident.' I simply confirmed them."

"How does he know?" Aria cut in.

"It's a long story," Jimena said vaguely, killing the topic as she walked over to Riley's room, as she mumbled tiredly, "Let's assess the damage, shall we?"

The experience was similar to walking into a black hole as all sound vanished instantly, save for the mechanic beeping of a machine in the far left corner of the room. Jimena took the lead, Tessa flanking her, but Aria couldn't manage to move passed the doorway. She stood there, rocking on her feet uncomfortably as the suffocating aura of the room filled her. All she could see from her position in the room was the foot of Riley's bed, as a curtain acted as a divider between it and another, empty recovery station.

She heard Jimena and Tessa's conversation carry over.

"Shit," Tessa swore, "She looks horrible."

"What exactly happened last night, Tessa?" Jimena's voice was cutting and held a dangerous note to it.

Aria could hear the awkward swallow before Tessa began a retelling of the night's events, but Aria found it difficult to understand. Her heart was thumping viciously against her chest and her breathing had become tiny pants, signifying the start of hyperventilation. Blood thudded in her ears and her hands were beginning to shake. Fear was commencing to choke her up, that and the unbearable stuffy quality of the hospital.

"Aria?" She distantly heard Jimena call, "Come over here."

Even though her brain didn't process it, her feet began to follow Jimena's voice, and before she was aware, she was standing on Riley's bedside, Jimena to her right.

Tessa wasn't lying. Riley lay there, somehow appearing much worse in real life than Aria remembered. There were splotches on her face that were discolored and puffy, indicating bruising and perhaps even a fracture in the cheekbone. Breathing tubes were stuck up her nose as well as an IV cable feeding itself into the crook of her right elbow. The only visible part of her, her arms and neck, were covered with a variety of scratches and abrasions, and Aria grimaced to think of what the lacerations on her back looked like.

Her panting escalated to full-fledged wheezing and she was sure she wasn't imagining the black spots creeping up into the corners of her eyes.

"-what about the coma? Do you think it was Tymmie?" She heard Tessa say, randomly picking up bits of conversation.

There was a pause and Aria saw Jimena pick something up off of the nightstand, something silvery and glinting, "…I don't think it was Tymmie." Was all she said, her tone implying curiosity and confusion as she scrutinized the small object.

"Her necklace?" Tessa gasped, knowing that it had been missing since that day in this same hospital a month ago, "Why would he return it?"

The Magna Mater shook her head, "It only makes sense, the amulet was wrapped up in a handkerchief, implying that whoever was delivering it wasn't keen on touching the pendant."

The rest of their words faded out as Aria felt her knees go out under her, a disembodied sensation of vertigo taking over her simultaneously as she felt her heart about to explode within her chest. The beeping of the life-sustaining machine reverberated throughout her skull, driving her nausea even further.

"Aria?" She heard Jimena ask in worry, her voice sounding stretched and out of key.

Aria's eyes darted around the room and her panic increased. She couldn't heal Riley, she couldn't. She. _Couldn't. _Her eyes drifted up to Tessa, and saw the blonde staring her expectantly. She resisted the urge to scream out, to proclaim that she couldn't be what Tessa and the others wanted her to be.

She couldn't be a Goddess.

Not when she was feeling like she was about to pass out simply _standing_ next to someone who was injured.

Not when the mere mention of the Atrox, or its Followers, sent raw terror into her entire being.

Not when she in all honesty failed to tolerate the other Daughters of the Moon. Tessa, who grated her nerves the most, Riley, whose stoic indifference irritated the hell out of her, and Imy whose constant pushy and arrogant attitude made her want to punch something.

She couldn't handle this. She didn't want to handle this.

She just wanted to go home.

Aria's hand clenched the front of her shirt in an attempt to still her rapid heart. She felt Jimena ask her something, her tone reassuring, and her hand land on her shoulder in a try to calm her down. Aria rapidly jerked out of Jimena's grip, and turned to face her mentor.

Harsh, caring, teaching, calculating, and elusive Jimena. Her mentor, her guardian. Aria didn't have the spirit to tell her that she had failed miserably.

Abruptly she spun on her heel, sprinting away from Tessa, Jimena, and pathetic, comatose Riley as fast as she could, refusing to look back. All that mattered was placing as much distance between her self and that asphyxiating hospital as possible.

She didn't want this.

She was done.

Done forever.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

I'm not happy with this chapter. It could've been better, but I rewrote some parts as much as three times and it still doesn't seem right. Sigh. Pwnd again Nym, pwnd again.

Much thanks to **Shadow Goddess Akhet **and **Henna** for their help with names!

**Next Up: **Aria finds that her desires and her conscience cannot coexist peacefully as she attends an average day at Turney High.


	4. Covetousness

_Night's Children: Cetera Desunt_

**AN**: I'm going to stress that the chapters for _Cetera Desunt _are going to be shorter than the later chapters of _Nox Noctis,_ simply due to the fact that this book, for about 90 of the time, is solely in Aria's point of view. _Nox Noctis _viewed a lot of different perspectives therefore its chapters were longer. That, and updates for _NN _were about once every two months (heh) compared to the once a week updates for this fic.

Also, this story is AU (alternate universe) due to book 12, as I had started writing this series in…um…2004? I think? Anyways, I started it before book 12 came out, so I'm basing Tianna's history from the facts presented in books 6-11. In addition, Dylan is Aria's five year old brother for those who have forgotten.

**Chapter Three: Covetousness**

Aria slammed her locker shut with a little more force than necessary as the final tardy bell rang for her next class. She rocked a bit on her feet, her head feeling slightly woozy from sleep deprivation as she regained her footing.

Last night had not been an easy one. As soon as she had bolted from the hospital, she went directly home where she was met with 'the interrogator', also known as Tianna Anderson-Moore, as she struggled to come up with suitable lies. She had stuck to the story of friends being attacked by a gang to explain her absence that morning, but it failed to explain her being out all night.

Aria had stared at her mother, who was in mid-rant about responsibility, and had said flatly that it would never happen again.

And she was right, yesterday had been her last night as a Goddess, no more. A reluctant smile crept upon her face as she thought of how she would never have to lie to her parents again.

"Aria!" Came a shrill yell from down the hall, and she sluggishly turned just in time to collide with one of her best, _normal_, friends Amanda.

Amanda was one of those 'delightfully cruel' types. With long, shiny chestnut hair and doe blue eyes she had quite a following at Turney High which was only fueled by her desire to wear clothes that didn't leave much to the imagination. Currently, she was donned in a leather mini skirt and black tube top that Aria knew wasn't on friendly terms with the school dress code. But it didn't matter. Amanda, along with herself and their other good friend Yvette, constituted the 'inner circle' of Turney.

"Where have you been? I texted you about three thousand times last night and you didn't respond once," Amanda said hotly, placing a hand on her hip.

A flit of irritation flowed through her at that moment, wondering where exactly Amanda felt justified in being angry. So what if Aria didn't reply to some stupid messages on her cell phone, she was too busy, you know _saving the **world.**_

"Were you out with Ian?" She prodded, giving a wink as she leaned coyly against the hall of lockers.

The anger Aria felt left her for almost as quickly as it came at the mention of Ian. The tall, handsome, blonde wasn't her boyfriend by any means, but the two were close. Really close. "I wish," She muttered, once again feeling embittered by the lack of normalcy in her life. Any other girl would have been on a date, or gone to a movie with friends, but Aria was stuck watching her teammates get beaten to within an inch of their lives and flambéing Followers of evil.

Amanda gave a low whistle of appreciation, "Can't blame you there. Ever since Trysten dropped out of school, Ian's _easily_ the hottest guy on the market."

Once again annoyance filtered through. To Amanda, Trysten Hatfield was nothing but the hot guy in her gym class, to Aria, he was now the next container for the Atrox. She seethed inwardly, disgusted and disappointed in her now jaded view of life. She looked towards Amanda, who had begun chatting incessantly about a hot date she had that night with some guy from La Brea, and Aria grit her teeth. What she wouldn't _give_ to be involved in a world where the greatest crisis to face was a bad hair day.

But no. Unfortunate karma had bestowed upon her some moronic destiny that had stripped everything from her. No dates, no true friends to confide in, no teenage lifestyle. Not for the first time, she felt horribly cheated.

"Hello? Earth to Ari!" Proclaimed Amanda, knocking on her head for good measure.

She blinked rapidly, "What?"

Amanda giggled, "You just like totally spaced out! Are you feeling ok? Maybe you should go to the nurse or something?"

At the word 'nurse' Aria's mouth felt indescribably dry, and her thoughts drifted to what she had done yesterday, and a sinking sensation hit her stomach. It wasn't guilt, or at least, she didn't want to admit it was guilt, but something rather close to it. Her mind conjured the image of Imy, slumped against a pillar and barely breathing, Riley with tubes and hooks strung into her skin, and the hurt and betrayed looks on both Tessa and Jimena's faces.

"Now you're just being creepy," Amanda continued to be ignored as Aria felt her mind drifting elsewhere.

The raw…whatever it had been, when Aria had clutched onto the Follower two nights ago. The pure, enraged spite and loathing that had drifted through her for that one moment as she drove the Atrox's influence from him like an exorcism. The power she held in the palms of her hands, the ability to make a grown man scream from a simple touch. That same ability that she had denied her comatose teammates.

"Oooh, look, here comes Art," Stated Amanda, her friend's well-being drifting out of her mind in the presence of eye candy, "You know he's really not that bad looking. If he wasn't so stuck on crazy psycho girl he'd be way hot." She paused for a moment, contemplative, "I'd do him."

Aria's face twisted at her words, her terrifying thoughts interrupted by her friend's audacity, "What the hell is wrong with you?" She declared.

Amanda blinked, taken aback by her tone, "Just admiring, nothing unusual." She raised a perfectly tweezed eyebrow, "What the hell's wrong with _you_?"

Aria was shaking, she knew it. She also knew that Amanda wasn't acting out of the ordinary for her character, and normally she'd just laugh along. But today was different. Different for so many reasons and Aria just did _not _have the tolerance for any of it right now.

"I'm going to class," She bit out, abruptly turning her heel and leaving a flabbergasted Amanda behind her.

She didn't go two steps before she felt a hand close down on her shoulder and she swore under her breath, trembling from a barely suppressed rage that she didn't remember having, "Amanda, I'm in a bad mood and you have two seconds before-"

"Then it's a good thing I'm not Amanda," Came a low and definite masculine voice. Aria swerved around to meet the startling green gaze of Art, "We need to talk." Was all he said, his voice low and somber.

Out of the trio, the only one still attending Turney High was Arthur King. Almost immediately after Trysten's fall, Lance had dropped out, and virtually disappeared off of the face of the planet, the only one who knew if he was even still alive was the dark haired boy that was currently staring at her with an uncharacteristic coldness.

"I need to get to class," Aria started, feeling nervous and exposed under Art's piercing stare, as she shifted away from him.

"I don't care," Was all he stated, "What happened to Imy?"

From the sour expression on his face, Aria immediately deducted that he knew _exactly _what had happened to Imy. "Leave me alone Art," She said attempting to sound as frigid as he was, but instead her voice came out panicked and pitchy.

"Yeah, leave her alone Art." Came a voice from behind her and she let out a gigantic sigh of relief.

"Ian." Art muttered between clenched teeth, "This isn't any of your business."

Everyone knew of the bitterness that existed between Ian Saratoga and Art, most likely started by the fact that Art was still dating Ian's once crush. Even though the blonde had gotten over Imy and moved on, the dislike the two shared seemed to carry over. Though they were civil towards each other, the intense vibes of anger and rivalry that flowed between them could be felt by anyone without Riley's help.

To this, Ian just gave a snort of disdain and draped an arm casually over Aria, "Ignore the loser, we're going to be late for bio," He said, giving her a heart melting smile.

Aria just nodded dumbly and allowed her self to be steered by Ian, as Art watched them go, a dark look shadowing his features as he clenched his fists in irritation.

Ian shook his head as they continued walking, "What's that guy's deal anyway?" He asked no one in particular, but Aria felt compelled to answer.

"He's just upset about his girlfriend," She whispered.

Ian sent her a quizzical look out of the corner of his eye, "What does that have to do with you?"

Unknowingly, Aria's hand drifted over the amulet concealed behind her shirt as she sighed, "Nothing, nothing at all."

"Hmph," Ian said dismissively, shrugging his shoulders for effect, "Forget him, how about we ditch class and grab a bite?"

Aria stared at his dark brown eyes blankly, knowing that it was a perfectly innocent, and _ordinary_, question. She wrung her hands together, the feeling that strongly resembled guilt once again resurfacing.

Grab a bite?

_Imy and Riley could only eat from feeding tubes._

Ditch class?

_Tessa was most likely doing that right now over at La Brea, probably out doing drugs._

Forget him?

_Forget them._

She opened her mouth, the clear-cut answer on the tip of her tongue and ready to be delivered, but something in Ian's eyes stayed her reply. She bit back the choking sensation, "Alright." She spoke so softly that Ian doubted her answer for a moment.

"What was that?" He asked.

"Let's just get out of here," She said louder, grabbing his wrist and directing him towards the school's parking lot. On her way out, she saw Art standing there in the same place they had left him. And there was a look of condemnation directed at the healing goddess who wouldn't heal in his cold, emerald eyes that were also filled with pain.

As they made eye contact, Aria knew that if she ever wanted to come to terms with her conscience, she would halt her steps, turn around and demand that Art take them straight to Imy, and heal away the misery within her. To show courage for once in her pitiful life.

But instead, Aria did what Aria did best. What she was _comfortable _with, the _normal, average, boring, _and _safe_ reaction.

She held her chin high, and walked away.

This was her one shot at being a human, not a deity.

And goddamn it all if she wasted it.

Yet despite her mental pep talk, she still could not stop her hands from shaking violently as she left Art, and the ramifications of her decisions, behind.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"You look lost."

The sudden accusation disrupted Aria's engaging activity, twirling a French fry around in a pile of ketchup, "Huh?" She murmured.

Ian sighed from his seat across from her, cracking his knuckles as he stretched his arms behind his head, "I said, you look lost."

The two had skipped their biology class, and after an awkward, silent car ride, the pair was now sitting at a scarcely packed food court at a local mall that was about two blocks from Aria's own home. Ian had been staring at her for the last few moments in a baffled concern, while she sat idly, her mind completely preoccupied until he had chosen to speak.

Her eyes narrowed and she was immediately on the defensive, "What do you mean by that?" She questioned pointedly.

He held up his hands in a mock defense, "Relax, it was just an observation." He paused for a moment, "You just seem a little tense, that's all." Was what he muttered.

Aria clenched the French fry in her hand so tightly it broke in half, but she didn't seem to notice, "You don't know the half of it."

Immediately deciding a change in topic was in order, Ian cleared his throat, "So what did Art want?"

_For me to grow up,_ "Nothing."

The blonde sighed, leaning back in his chair, "Do you want to talk about it?" He prompted gently.

"No." Her response was too quick, even for her own ears.

Ian just shook his head and put a hand over hers, immediately stopping the trembling, "Then maybe you should go find someone that you _will _talk about it to." His brown eyes narrowed in observation, "It's obvious that you're upset right now, and it's not healthy to keep it all bottled up like you're doing."

Rage bubbled up inside of her at his patronizing tone, "What the hell would you know? If I need a shrink I'll ask for it!" She growled, "There's nothing wrong, I'm **not _upset!_** I'm fine! Perfectly _normal!_"

Ian looked at the fuming goddess across from him, "You suck at not being upset," He replied bluntly, scooting his chair back as he stood, "I'm going back to school," his eyes seemed to scrutinize her for a moment, "You should go home and get some sleep." He declared, sounding very tired himself, "No offense, Aria, but you look like you've just seen hell on earth."

Aria's eyes widened as she gaped at him in shock, "I'm sorry-!" She blurted, already apologizing for her outburst.

Ian simply rose a hand in protest, "Hey, it's cool don't worry about it." A wry half-grin crept across his features, "Just take a day off, you look a little stressed, and maybe we'll hang out tomorrow?"

Her amber colored eyes widened as her mouth dropped open, and she shook her head, "Sounds good." Was all she muttered softly.

He smiled once again and gave her a peck on the cheek before turning to leave, "Take care of yourself, ok?"

She nodded numbly.

"And call me if anything comes up."

Once again, an approval with no enthusiasm.

"Goodbye Aria."

"Goodbye."

The girl watched him leave, turning around towards the exit where he had parked his car. As soon as he opened the door, he gave her another wave and a reassuring smile as he left.

She sighed and once again resumed twirling the fry in the ketchup.

Ian really was a nice guy, a good guy.

He truly was.

It was too bad, she mused to herself silently after he left the food court, that there was such a distance between his world and hers, one she was sure could never be bridged.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

When Aria finally sauntered into her home, she was met with two very unwelcome surprises.

The first, that Tianna, her mother, had apparently taken the day off of work and was staring at her expectantly.

The second was that Jimena was comfortably sitting on the living room's sofa.

"You." She hissed, pointing a finger accusingly, "What are you doing here?"

Jimena said nothing, her face a perfect mask of concealed emotion.

Aria's mother stared in horror at her daughter, "What is the matter with you? Jimena's our guest!" She looked at Jimena and shook her head apologetically, "I'm sorry, Jimena, Aria normally doesn't act like this."

Jimena crossed her arms and looked at her coolly, "Yes, Aria doesn't seem to be acting normal at all lately."

Aria's lip twitched into a sneer at her 'mentor's' words, but she said nothing, attempting to communicate her loathing via eye contact.

Tianna ran a few fingers through her long, dark hair as she sighed and collapsed against the back of the chair she had been sitting in, "Aria, why don't you take a seat? We need to talk."

"No." She bit out, still eyeing Jimena warily.

"Aria." Her tone held finality.

Begrudgedly, Aria plopped into a nearby armchair, her arms crossed and her eyes glowering.

Jimena cleared her throat professionally, straightening in her seat, "First things first, Aria, I told your mother about your recent," She smirked, "After school job."

"**What?"** She bellowed, panic overtaking her, she turned to her mother, "Mom, don't listen to her, she doesn't know what she's talking about!"

"Aria-" Tianna prompted gently.

"NO!" She cried, "This woman's just desperate, she'll say anything!"

Jimena's smirk twisted into a grimace at Aria's harsh words.

"Aria!" Tianna cut off her daughter's rant as she fished around her neck before her fingers landed on a chain, slowly she pulled it out from under her shirt, a silver moon gleaming in the light, "I already know, honey, I already know."

She could literally feel the blood draining from her face, "How-?" She whispered, her attention drifting to her mentor's, "You _knew?_ And you didn't tell me!" She swerved on her heel towards Tianna, "And how do you know! You're not supposed to remember!" She proclaimed.

A nostalgic smile spread across Tianna's face as she fingered the pendant, "I wasn't like the others, I wasn't born a Daughter." She sent her child a meaningful look, "I _wanted_ to become one of Selene's Chosen, it was my request and I'm grateful to this day that Selene accepted me."

Aria's mouth suddenly tasted very bitter, "Then you're a fool." Her clenched fists began to tremble, "Don't you understand? You _volunteered_ to be considered a freak and outcast? _Volunteered _to be the target of the Atrox and its Followers? And you're _grateful_ for that!"

The smile immediately dropped and a cold look entered her eyes, making Tianna appear similar to Jimena, "Being a Daughter of the Moon isn't about the risks, Aria, it's about protecting the world from evil." She stood up, "It's about being something bigger than yourself; otherwise Selene wouldn't send her Daughters down in teams." Tianna's dark gaze continued to stare her daughter down, "I had hoped you would have been intelligent enough to recognize that instead of behaving like a five year old with a temper tantrum."

If Aria was irritated before, she was livid now, "How dare you patronize me like that?" Her teeth were grinding viciously against each other, "There's no point to saving a world that would see you as some abnormal mutant!" Tianna opened her mouth to protest, but Aria cut her off, "You know it's true! Why else would we not be able to talk about the Atrox?"

This time, it was Jimena who intervened, "To talk about the Atrox would draw attention like a magnet, the Followers would know who you are, where you live, your family, and everything else in a moment. It is not society's standards, it's doing what's right and protecting yourself." She hissed.

"Then this war endangers those we care about!" She seethed, loosing whatever composure she had, she swerved and looked at Tianna, "If a more ambitious Follower were to discover who I was, what's to stop them from coming after you?"

Tianna stood up, "I can take care of myself." Was all she stated simply.

Aria copied her mother's rigid posture, "Perhaps, but someone like Dylan most certainly can't."

"A situation where neither of us could protect him is rare," She responded coolly, obviously far more levelheaded than her fifteen-year-old.

Aria pointed an accusing finger, "That's not true! Two months ago, some kid named Twiggy was almost killed in a car accident when a Follower decided to ram his car." She paused, "Who decided to ram the car because there were two Daughters of the Moon with him. Two Daughters who were powerless to save their friend."

Jimena cleared her throat, still sitting comfortably on the sofa, "Perhaps, but Selene also gave _you_ the power to restore his health." She raised an eyebrow, "You have to understand Aria that this lifestyle does take, but it also gives." She crossed her arms, "You, more than any other of the new Daughters, have the ability to benefit mankind with your gift and yet you choose to shun and ignore it."

"I don't care!" She screamed, "I don't want _any_ of this, I just want to be normal!" Her curly hair had fallen over her face, shadowing her features, "It isn't fair to watch my friends, my actual friends, go on and have natural lives while I am burdened with the destiny of the world! I'm done with being a goddess and I'm done with Imy, Riley, Tessa, and you!" She yelled at her once mentor.

A crestfallen look appeared over the ex-gangster's face as she sighed slowly, staring at the ground, "I know what you're going through, Aria." The younger goddess went to cut her off, but Jimena held up a hand, "Hear me out." She averted her eyes from the floor to the healing goddess, "Because of my own destiny, I've lost my husband and my son." She cleared her throat, "I watched my best friend in the world get destroyed by Regulators, I've seen another one of my friends shot by a Follower as she attempted to save someone's life." Her eyes hardened, "I had to deal with another going insane and betraying us all." She stared her down, and Aria felt herself shrink back again, "Followers killed my grandmother, manipulated my once boyfriend into going into enemy gang territory, and destroyed everything else I've held close to me." She got up, and brushed imaginary dirt off of her pants, "But I endured, because I know that this war is greater than myself."

"Jimena-" Tianna stated gently at her friend and once fellow goddess.

"No, Tianna," The Magna Mater said harshly, "Aria needs to hear _all _of this." She exhaled angrily, "You think _you're_ suffering, Aria? Think about myself, think about your fellow Daughters. Riley's childhood was a living hell due to the nature of her mother, and she's been ostracized her entire life. The only person who ever came even close to understanding her, willingly caved to his own inner demons and became her enemy." Jimena paused, "And she's not the only one. Tessa's family disintegrated due to the Atrox, and her parents, both Followers, saw her as a burden rather than their own _child._" Her onyx eyes narrowed, "Not even Daughters are just affected, Gordon's son committed suicide due to the Atrox's influence and yet he, a normal and average man, happily accepted fighting for Selene, why can't you?"

Aria was deadly silent, shaking, as her face grew paler.

Jimena exhaled angrily and went towards the door, as soon as her hand landed on the knob, her words came, low and harsh, "They found Tessa earlier today in an alleyway," Her eyes narrowed, "She's hospitalized right now, apparently she was beaten to within an inch of her life before going into a self-induced coma." The door cracked open and Jimena turned to stare at the brunette, "You can't run forever Aria, one day you'll realize that like I had to."

Silence overtook the three women as all their attention was focused on Aria, as if waiting for confirmation. The youngest of the trio realized that once again an opportunity for redemption had presented itself like it had with Art, she could go with Jimena now and heal all of them, and no one would think any less of her for the temporary cowardice.

"Go." Was all the young goddess could say, still trembling violently.

And with that one spoken word, disappointment settled like a suffocating blanket over the occupants of the room.

Jimena only nodded, and silently exited the Anderson-Moore's home.

As soon as the leader of the Daughters of the Moon had left, Tianna turned to her eldest child, her voice quiet but full of frustration, "Go up to your room, we'll talk about this later." Was all she said, unable to meet her daughter's eyes.

Aria nodded numbly as she stomped up the stairs and stormed into her bedroom, flinging herself on the bed before she began to cry viciously into her pillow.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

So…Nym has an announcement:

Nym will be moving in about two weeks, meaning that in about two weeks nym will be on a hiatus for quite a while as she attempts to establish an internet connection from a 98 windows PC (insert eyetwitch) as her beautiful laptop is being sent ahead with all other 'unnecessary' crap. Things are going to be hectic, and alas, 'real' life unfortunately takes precedence over fanfic land….stupid 'real' life…

**Next Up: **Aria's on her own as she plans to leave L.A., that is, until she meets a handsome stranger on the only train out of town.


	5. Ambition

_Night's Children: Cetera Desunt_

**Chapter Four: Ambition**

Aria was vaguely aware of the sun setting and later the sounds of her parents and little brother going to bed as she lay on her back, her eyes staring blankly into the pure white ceiling of her bedroom. Her hands were clasped resolutely on top of her stomach, and her face felt sticky and dried out from all of the tears that had fallen down it.

The past few hours that she had lain there, her mind drifted over everything and nothing, trying to make some sense of the world that was slowly slipping through her fingers like sand. So far, her thoughts had focused on one of the four things: her mother had been a Daughter of a previous generation, all the other Daughters of her generation had been attacked by some sort of invisible affliction, they all felt betrayed, and the fact that she had a rather massive literature test that she hadn't studied for yet tomorrow.

The last thought aside, Aria knew that her options were now becoming desperately limited. Her previous goal of ignoring all things mythological and continuing a relatively average life was shattered with the revelation that her own mother was once a Daughter of the Moon. The added pressures of having to face not only Imy and Riley if, _when_, they recovered at school but also Art, and everyone else had also snuffed the life out of her once plan.

Her fingers clenched automatically, as she knew what the only alternative was if she were to ever live a normal lifestyle again.

She'd have to leave Los Angeles, the only city she had ever known, and go to a place where no one knew who she was, nor the mark upon her. Away from her family, away from Jimena and the Daughters, and away from her friends. It was the only choice, and though it would be difficult, perhaps her removal from the scene would quell the constant guilt trips and bouts of conscience that kept resurging through her as she attempted to mentally defend her actions.

Coming to a resolution, Aria slowly shifted herself up from her resting spot, swinging her legs over the edge of her bed as she stood up. Her eyes drifted to the room's only window, where, sure enough, there was no moon in the night sky. Sighing to herself and agreeing it was some sort of omen, Aria gathered up some clothes and quickly began to pack them into a red duffel bag.

A few moments later, her footfalls fell almost silently against the floor of her parents' bedroom as she sauntered in. All was quiet for a moment as Aria watched the two sleeping forms of her parents, her mother's usually pristine dark hair in tangles and disarray and her father's shock of red hair peeping out from underneath the comforter. Smiling sadly, Aria undid the clasp around her neck, the moon amulet of Selene falling perfectly into her palm as she gently placed it on her parents' nightstand.

Tears stung her eyes momentarily, but they went unheeded as Aria quickly exited the room, wiping them away frantically with the heel of her hand as she shouldered the red duffel bag and walked towards the stairs of her home. On her way out, she passed Dylan's room, and heard his snores reverberate throughout the house. She decided not to enter his room as he was an incredibly light sleeper, and instead settled for the bought of nostalgia that overcame her.

She would miss her family terribly, but with her here, all she managed to accomplish was to place them in danger. With her out of the picture, everyone would be better off-protection for her parents and brother, and a normal life for herself.

Looking back one last time at the tranquil and everlasting piece of her home, Aria turned quickly on her heel and headed out towards the door, into a night that would mark the beginning of a new life, one not riddled with obligation and pain.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"That'll be fohrty-tree, sevenny five," Came a gruff voice and an extended, greasy hand.

She felt her jaw drop as she stared at the back of the cab driver's head, "Excuse me?" Aria asked hesitantly.

"I said, dat'll be fohrty-tree, sevenny five, da cost for yer ride," He reiterated, beginning to look slightly annoyed.

Aria numbly slumped back against the backseat of the cab that she had taken to the nearest bus station as she dug into the inside of her jeans pockets, thankfully pulling out two wadded-up twenties and a five, cringing when she realized all that left her with was another twenty and some odd change, "Here," She muttered with chagrin.

Sniffling his nose the man grabbed it, no even offering her the change as he pocketed the cash. Put off by his attitude, but even more compelled to just keep moving, Aria settled for huffing indignantly and rudely slamming the cab door, before the vehicle left immediately after she had grabbed her duffle bag.

As soon as the yellow car drifted off into the distance, Aria felt herself stiffen as it finally dawned upon her that she was truly alone. Her fingers, slightly cold from the night air, clenched around the nylon strap of her bag as she hoisted it onto her shoulder. Amber eyes locked onto the rickety-looking bus station, blinding fluorescent lights the only indicator that it was still even open, as there appeared to be no one else in sight.

For a fleeting moment, resignation and terror filled her, as she doubted her sanity when reaching this decision. Aria's palms began to sweat and she took a hesitant half-step back, before shaking her head. Determination and stubbornness settled over the teenage deity as she watched the station for a few more moments before taking a courageous step forward, it was now or never. She had not ran away from her only source of comfort to chicken out now.

Yet when she entered, Aria had to shake the instant sensation of repulsion as she looked around. The inside of the bus station smelled like urine and sweat, graffiti sprayed all over the cracking cement walls. On the far left side of the complex, what appeared to be a bum was crashed on a plastic bench, a brown-bagged bottle clutched endearingly to his chest.

Once again the animalistic urge to flee crawled through her mind, but she steeled her resolve and approached the counter.

Working there, she saw a rather pretty girl who looked to be in her early twenties. Her eyes, almond-shaped and an odd shade of bluish gray, were staring blankly out into space as her fingernails, bitten to the nub, drummed along the counter. She had clean, long hair, which was so black there appeared to be blue highlights, that was pulled into a loose ponytail, arbitrary chunks of it spilling out onto her face.

"Excuse me?" Aria asked hesitantly, as her eyes searched for some sort of nametag, finding nothing on the girl's uniform but an embroidered '7' she sighed and said a little louder, "Excuse me?"

The girl immediately ceased the drumming, her eyes shooting up to meet Aria's as she stifled a yawn, "Uhhuh?" She muttered dispassionately.

"I need a ticket."

"Where to?"

"Anywhere."

The sleepy-seeming girl's eyes deadlocked with Aria's, and she felt herself falling into some sort of entranced state as she gazed at them, for the strange light blue color of her iris appeared electric, "You'll have to be slightly more specific." She stated flatly, her tone picking up some sort of intensity.

Aria found her self backing away slightly, confused as to why this strange girl made her so uneasy, "North?" She supplied meekly.

A cruel smile made its way upon the girl's features, "There's no busses going north-"

"East, then I don't care." Aria muttered.

The ticket seller's eyebrows lowered in annoyance, "You didn't let me finish, there's a train that's going north in about an hour. To Portland."

Aria shook her head, curls flying, "I can't afford a train ticket."

A smirk replaced the smile, "Then you're in luck that at most train stations, once it reaches a certain time," At this the girl flicked her wristwatch, "And in this case, since it's almost one in the morning you're more than fine, they start letting people travel for free." She thoughtlessly played with a bit of bluish black hair, "To take up space, you know."

Aria felt her eyes narrow, the girl's story seemed sketchy and highly unlikely, "And where is this station?"

The smirk widened to reveal a pair of remarkably sharp canines, "A block down the road," Her thumb jerked to the left, "Better hurry, it leaves in about twenty minutes."

Knowing that her options were already desperately limited, Aria only nodded numbly and once again shifted the weight of the duffel bag as she turned away, "Thanks." She muttered flatly. She wasn't sure if Portland was her destination of choice, but the uncomfortable feeling that had settled in the bus station convinced her that anywhere away from this strange girl would suffice.

"No problem," The girl's voice had lowered and Aria felt her paces increasing in tempo as she left, "Enjoy your trip."

Needless to say, Aria didn't look back as she proceeded to walk towards the train station. Had she turned to look around, she would have noticed the menacing aura that had surrounded the clerk and the malevolent darkness that had entered her oddly colored eyes.

But the almost otherworldly influence over the bus station ticket operator went unnoticed as Aria stomped off to hopefully receive a free trip to Portland, anything to get away from the sinking sensation in her chest.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"You should consider yourself fortunate, the train was just about to pull away," Came the reproachful voice of the elderly lady that sat stiffly behind the ticket counter.

Aria concealed the urge to sigh heavily as she placed her hands on the counter, "Just one ticket to Portland, please." She whispered again, hoping that the strange ticket vendor at the bus station knew what she was talking about.

"Hm," The old woman tsked in a patronizing tone, as she expertly began to shuffle through a pack of odd-looking cards, "There's no tickets little girl," The way she addressed her was reminiscent to addressing an unpleasant fungus, "Just fill out the seats."

Aria shuffled uncomfortably, her grip tightening on the nylon strap, "Um, well thank you Miss-?"

"Agatha," Her head snapped up, and Aria got her first glance at the woman's eyes, hidden behind a pair of tortoise-shell glasses. They were a deeper shade than the girl working at the counter, like the purple of an amethyst, and they glowed with the same odd intensity. Her eyes betrayed her obviously old age, as she had a purple-gray shade of hair that was put up in a no nonsense bun and a high-end dress that was in fashion decades ago, "You may call me Ms. Regan, little girl."

"Right," Aria drawled out slowly under her breath, before swerving on her heel and making her way towards the train's seating, "Well, thank you Ms. Regan."

"It was no trouble, even for one of your impertinence," Came her clipped tone from behind her.

The old lady continued to watch the teenager walk towards the train's platform, her weathered lips pressing in a grim line as her eyes almost hissed and crackled in vivacity.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

When she first boarded the train, two thoughts hit her almost instantaneously. First, the décor of the cab she had entered was tasteful and exuded the air of prosperity. There were several 'booths', a pair of plush looking chairs that faced each other with a small table in between them, that were seemingly made with a dark oak and vermillion velvet. They were set up across from each other, with an aisle in between the two rows that faced the windows.

The second thought that hit her, was that the bus attendant was far from kidding when she had stated the need to 'fill up space.' In the entire cab, Aria only caught a glimpse of two people, the first being an elderly man, clad in an olive knit cap and dirty denim jacket. His weathered hands clutched a gold pocket watch almost nervously and gray stubble jutted out at odd angles on his chin. The loud, reverberating snores signified he was out cold.

Across from him sat an intense looking young man, who appeared to be in his mid twenties. His head was almost shaved completely, with only the barest covering of black, short hairs. His arms were crossed and he sat as stiffly as a soldier on guard duty. The man was clad entirely in black, a trench coat with a high collar propped up concealing the lower half of his face, in addition to black sunglasses that were tinted which effectively hid his eyes.

Immediately deciding that neither of them would be good conversationalists, nor friendly, Aria quickly slid into the first empty booth available-

"Hey!"

-Or so she thought.

As soon as her butt had landed on the seat, it had come into contact with another person's leg, realizing this, Aria shot up as quick as possible, slightly tripping over her own feet, the weight of her bag throwing off her balance as she almost crashed face first.

But a warm hand gripped around her bicep, holding her securely as she managed to regain her footing, her face ten shades scarlet, "I'm so sorry-" She muttered, still not looking at the person whom she had sat on.

"No worries," Came a decidedly male voice with a bit of a chuckle, "But you seriously need to chill, you almost face planted."

Aria looked up, her face still glowing in embarrassment, and her breath caught as she looked at her 'rescuer'.

Although she would normally scoff and roll her eyes when her friends, such as Amanda and Yvette, told her some guy was 'gorgeous' she found that to be the only suiting word for the person whose face was approximately three inches away from her own. He had slightly long dark hair that was collected behind his triple-pierced ears. His eyes were a strange shade of brown that bordered on a sepia or maroon color. His skin was a caramel color similar to Aria's own and she soon found her mouth hanging open slightly.

"You okay?" He asked, his voice deep, "You look kind of nauseous."

Mortified, she snapped her jaw shut and slammed her palm in her face, "I'm fine," She whispered, "Sorry for sitting on you."

He laughed, and crossed his arms behind his head, "Hey, no problem, I don't mind it when pretty girls land in my lap."

Poor Aria. That blush wasn't going away anytime soon.

She backed away and readjusted the strap on her bag, "Still, it was rude, thanks for catching me." With that she started to walk away, not quite knowing to handle the situation.

"You know," The stranger drawled, patting the seat across from him, "This train's kind of lonely, I wouldn't mind some conversation."

Aria paused in her step, worrying her lower lip between her teeth as she stared at the stranger, to the strange men in the back, to empty seats, and back to the stranger. Despite the circumstances that brought her to the train, she found herself finding that she would want some company. She exhaled, it was, after all, a long ride to Portland and odds were she'd never see this guy again.

"Sure, why not?" She muttered, sliding into the seat across from him.

The stranger beamed, revealing bleach-white teeth and a solitary capped silver tooth, "Awesome." He stated happily, extending a hand across the small table, "My name's Chuck, what's yours?"

"Aria," She said quietly, placing her hand in his.

"So where're you heading to at this lovely night, Aria?" He started off, amiable enough, as he resumed the slacked-off pose of placing both his arms behind his head.

"Portland," She said evenly.

His grin grew, "Me too! Last stop on the ride, if I'm not mistaken."

Aria took a moment to reevaluate Chuck. He was wearing a pair of baggy Hawaiian swim shorts, flip flops, and a dirty white tank top. The only thing that seemed out of place was the gold ring around his thumb that sent of the vibes of being an antique. _Surfer bum, _she concluded mentally before correcting her self, _Incredibly hot surfer bum._

"What's a girl like you doing on a train at such an ungodly hour?" He asked conversationally.

She froze, "Uh…"

Her awkward response was fortunately spared when the train's lights flickered and began to lurch forward at a creeping pace. She exhaled slowly in thanks, and quickly decided to steer the questions in his direction.

"So how old are you, Chuck?" She asked.

"I'm sixteen," He smirked, "and yourself?"

She played with the zipper of her bag beside her absent mindedly, "I'm fifteen."

His eyes widened, "Really? You feel so much older."

Aria rose an eyebrow, confused by his verb choice, "'Feel?' Not look?"

Chuck laughed before languidly stretching yet again, "I dunno, there's something about your posture," He gestured with a calloused hand, "Your back's stiff, your legs evenly crossed-"

"And why are you looking at my legs?" Aria retorted, her tone light to destroy any illusion of offense.

He blushed slightly but covered with a forced throat clearing, "Anyways, those are just the physical observations. You have this air about you, like you're someone important," He shrugged, "Eh, what do I know?"

She looked at him in amazement, and also a tiny bit of fear. If this kid, a surfer bum only about a year older than her, could recognize that something was off, why wouldn't a Follower in Portland be able to? She sighed forlornly as her eyes drifted to the floor underneath her feet, the train speeding towards its destination.

After a few moments of unbearable and awkward silence, Aria decided to pick the conversation back up before Chuck thought he had made her uncomfortable, "So why are you going to Portland?" She asked with a forced casualness.

"Heh," At first he looked taken aback by the sudden interruption of quiet, before he quickly recovered. A strange, almost afraid look crossed his face before he muttered sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck, "It's kind of a long story."

She exhaled heavily, already deciding that if he were to share his story, she'd have to share hers, "Oh, never mind then."

He laughed again, a deep throaty sound that Aria rapidly decided she enjoyed, "Calm down, it's a pretty long ride."

She gave a meek smile, leaning back in the seat to signal with her body language that she was comfortable and ready to listen.

"Well, you see, my dad owns this surf shop down in Maui," He started off.

Aria smirked, _Called that one._

"And, well, lately he's been acting kind of mental," He stated as if he were talking about the weather, "Paranoid."

Silence reigned, and Aria fought her impatience to blurt out a 'So? Get on with it!', but instead settled for fidgeting slightly in her seat.

"Oh, sorry, lost in thought," He replied, "Anyways, it all started when he started getting mail from my mom," At the look of confusion upon Aria's face, he clarified, "My parents are divorced."

"Sorry." Aria muttered sympathetically.

He waved his hand, "Eh, no worries. They've been split up since I was baby." He cleared his throat, "Anyways, he started making all these off-hand comments that seemed sketchy, and when I mentioned coming to L.A. on my fall break to see mom he flipped." He tilted his chin up cockily, "So I pooled my savings and bought a ticket to come see her anyway." he proclaimed proudly.

Aria's eyebrows drew together in confusion, "But if your mother lives in Los Angeles, why are you on a train heading to Portland?"

At this, the arrogant attitude he seemed to be exuding deflated slightly, "Heh, um, well, I, uh…You see…"

"You chickened out, didn't you?" Aria guessed.

"In a manner of speaking."

"Why, if you were in such a hurry to see her?"

He laughed yet again, only this time it was strained and stretched, "You don't know my mom. Hell, _I _hardly know my mom. I like seeing her and all, but she's a very intimidating senorita, if you know what I mean." He sighed, looking down at his practically bare feet, "I panicked, you see, the last time I saw her was last summer, and then it was only for a couple of days. I didn't understand how to handle the situation, you know?"

Aria thought of her own decisions the past couple of days, "Yeah, I know exactly what you mean." She paused, and both of them sunk into the previous conversation mentally before she piped up, "So why Portland?"

Chuck shrugged, "I can't afford a plane ticket back, probably wouldn't want to even go back knowing my dad, and going to my mom's was out of the question, so when some old broad told me about the free trip on the train I was all for it."

Aria's eyes widened before she hesitantly asked, "Did she have, uh, scary eyes?"

He once again hunched his shoulders, "Beats me, I wasn't exactly in an observant mood. Why do you ask?"

She returned his shrug, "No importance."

The two sat in silence for a little while as Aria stared out of the train's window to the quickly vanishing scenery of Los Angeles and a pang of homesickness hit her as she once again realized all she was giving up for a chance at a normal life.

A normal life with no family or friends.

"So," Chuck drawled, his eyes trained on Aria, "Compartment buddy, what brings you here?"

Aria snorted, "Compartment buddy?" She asked, incredulously, her almost melancholy mood evaporating quickly, "You're such a dork."

He wriggled his eyebrows, "What would you prefer? Angel? Sweetums? Goddess?"

She paled at the word goddess, "Just Aria's fine," She all but whispered.

Chuck regarded her change of expression curiously, "Well, Aria, what brings you here?"

She sighed, "I'm visiting a sick relative," She lied quickly.

"Uh huh," Chuck said, obviously not buying it, "At almost two in the morning?"

Her face settled into frown as she switched her attention from the zipper of her duffle bag to begin to fiddle with the hem of her long, spaghetti-strapped tank, "I'm running away too." She finally admitted.

"From what?"

"Responsibility."

Chuck looked at her skeptically, and was about to speak, when the train suddenly lurched to a stop. The surfer was literally catapulted out of his seat and onto Aria as her head slammed back harshly into her chair. The lights flickered off, and the train was left in darkness.

"Shit," He muttered, propping himself up, "That sucked," He stated bluntly, then he winked on his human pillow, "At least I landed on something comfortable."

She looked at him incredulously and quickly shoved him off of her, "Pig," She responded, exhaling in irritation, "What happened?"

The lights began to flicker on and off rapidly, as Chuck also situated himself at Aria's side, "The train just stopped." He muttered, his eyes drifting towards the back of the cab. Aria followed his sight to see that the old man had woken up and looked scared to within an inch of his life.

But that wasn't what caught her attention, it was the other man.

The man with the shaved head and concealed face slowly stood up, reaching within the inside of his jacket, "Everyone, stay calm," He stated, his voice husky and with an obvious Russian accent. His hand retracted from within the jacket, holding a shiny, .45 handgun, "This is a robbery."

Aria paled and Chuck summed up both of their feelings with his next statement, "We are _so _fucked."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

**Next Up: **A group of seemingly desperate robbers board the train, making Aria instantly paranoid when they request only jewelry from the train's passengers.

Thank you to **Shadow Goddess Akhet **and **Henna** once again for help with the names!

**Author's Notes: **I'm so sorry that the two week hiatus transformed itself into a MONTH long hiatus, but moving turned out to be much more stressful than I anticipated. Updates are going to be sluggish for a bit as I try to get a grip on two jobs and school, but there will be updates now that I have internet up and running again. Thanks for reading and sticking with my stories J

Till next time

!nym!


	6. Avarice

_Night's Children: Cetera Desunt_

**Chapter Five: Avarice**

The events of the night were unfolding so rapidly that all Aria could do was stare blankly as the strange man in black lifted and pointed the barrel of a handgun at her head, "You two," He growled, his teeth slightly jagged, as he gestured with his free hand, "Get in the back, near the old man."

It wasn't until she heard Chuck's voice that she even remembered he was right next to her, holding his hands up in a signal of peaceful surrender, "Hey man, we don't want no trouble."

The gunman said nothing, he only seemed to be staring at Aria behind his black sunglasses that showed her eerily calm reflection, "No trouble, no problems, no bullets, da?" He stated coldly as he backed away from the compartment to allow Aria and Chuck to vacate it and head towards the rear seats near the old man who quite frankly looked ready to shit himself.

Aria sat perfectly still, rooted to the spot. Oddly enough, it was not terror that had filled her when she saw the cold steel at her head, just a sense of tranquility and total acceptance. That alone worried her more than any panic attack or fear-induced conniption.

Warm breath in her ear interrupted her thoughts.

"Aria, it's not smart to agitate the crazy Russian with a handgun," Came Chuck, his voice strangely infected with humor.

She stared at him incredulously for a moment before turning back to face the 'crazy Russian with a handgun' who was indeed beginning to look extremely agitated. His jaw was clenched and a vein was ticking on his forehead.

Nodding, she numbly stood up and walked slowly towards the back, the sound of Chuck shifting his weight signified that he was right behind her, and sure enough she felt a warm hand give her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. She gave a half turn of her head to meet Chuck's, and he gave her a brief smile.

"Just stay calm chica, there's punks like this all the time in Maui, like to pick on tourists," He stated flatly, "We'll just give him our money, he'll leave, it's all easy." A strange mischievous glint caught his eye, "No fear, am I right?"

If she had been in a right state of mind, she would have called into doubt her new 'compartment buddy's' sanity, but as it were she could only shake her head and plop down next to the old man.

"No talking!" The man barked, brandishing his handgun in the air, appearing weirdly reminiscent to the old spaghetti western heroes, "You talk, I shut you up." He proclaimed, walking forward towards the door to the next train car. Shifting his grip on the gun, he pulled at the sliding divider and cracked it open into the adjacent cab, "Loki!" He barked, "Get the others, bring them in here!" He called to someone, most likely an accomplice, that was not viewable at Aria's position.

A muffled reply was the response, and the strange man slammed the door shut.

It wasn't until he turned to face them, that Aria noticed her hands were trembling violently, while the rest of her was as rigid as a corpse. Her eyes widened and she tried to think of rationality, a concept that had long since left her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chuck staring at her with concern. Knowing that speaking would only enrage their captor, he settled for placing his hand over both of hers and giving them a reassuring squeeze.

"This is how we play," The way he paused before speaking signified that the robber was not comfortable with the language he was conversing in, "I have gun, I make rules. Those who do not comply will be quickly disposed of. We are here for one reason only. No arguments, and we will be done swiftly." As if to prove his authority, he swept the barrel across his three captives. "Understand? Nod if so."

Chuck's nod was steady and confident, the old man's shaky and frazzled, but Aria couldn't force herself to make the gesture, her eyes clouding over and unfocused as she began to feel as if she were floating away.

A cold grip on her chin brought her sinking back to reality, "You understand?" The words were grated and the breath smelt of fish as the robber grabbed her, the gun now pressed to her temple.

Fear gripped her insides and she desperately conjured the energy to nod.

"Good," He sneered, "Any more attitude, and I will see it as noncompliance. Remember what happens then?"

Another nod.

"Also good."

At that exact moment, the door flew open, revealing a man who appeared to be in his thirties. His hair was dyed a vibrant, eye-soaring orange that had been slicked back and combed with grease. The black button-up dress shirt that was his apparel conflicted with that of his partner's, as did the obviously more laid back attitude as he slumped against the door frame.

But those weren't the most noticeable features of the man.

It was his eyes.

They were as orange as his hair and immediately Aria was reminded of the eyes of both the bus and train saleswomen.

"Any passengers?" Came the gunman, turning his attention away from terrorizing the poor occupants of his cab.

His accomplice shrugged lazily, "I don't see the benefit of moving them," his voice held a rather distinct cockney accent and was lilted with boredom.

"Loki." The Russian grit.

The man addressed as Loki waved his hand dismissively, "Kiriak." He responded, "You have no authority over me, learn your place."

The gunman, now identified as Kiriak, swerved on his heel, "My place is not to suffer self-indulgent fools."

The carrot top laughed, "Self-indulgent, most definitely, but a fool?" He clucked his tongue, "You underestimate me, my trigger-happy companion, one day that will get you killed." His eyes, which were blank and portrayed boredom before were now full of power and barely suppressed rage.

Kiriak sneered maliciously before turning around to face his prisoners, "Bring in the rest of the passengers, we both know the plan." He scoffed, "If it had been up to me, they would all be dead and we'd be taking the artifact off their corpses."

The idea of an artifact caught Aria's attention, and she restrained her head from snapping up quickly. So, they were searching for something. She bit her lip and immediately deducted that this was not an ordinary robbery.

Loki looked almost put out when he asked, "What? You don't want to hear about how I wonderfully executed the plan?"

"The passengers," Kiriak stated, his voice cold and leaving no room for discussion.

Apparently, his counterpart was oblivious to the sudden switch in turn, "First, Suiren took out the driver, that was the flash of the lights earlier, and she's now piloting this thing towards our destination-"

"The passengers!" He growled, the hand holding the gun shaking.

Loki heaved a sigh and swerved on his heel, "Bring them in." He stated dismissively, now that his retelling had been cut short.

Both Chuck and Aria's heads immediately jerked up towards the opening of the car, trying to gauge how many allies they had in this situation, and what exactly they were up against.

Aria's mouth dropped open when a little girl walked in. She was impossibly adorable, most likely around the age of six or so, with a frilly green dress and her dark blonde hair was done up in pigtails. She clutched a stuffed rabbit endearingly to her chest.

"Shit," She heard Chuck whisper beside her, "They're holding kids hostage."

Imagine everyone's surprise, when the little girl pulled out a pistol from behind her bunny,

"Damn," The surfer muttered to himself, "Cabbage patch is packing heat." He whispered incredulously.

"Hurry up slowpokes!" She crowed, giggling happily as she turned around towards those following her into the compartment.

They appeared to be a married couple in their mid-forties, obviously frazzled and feeling out of place as the stumbled awkwardly towards the back where Aria and the others sat. The woman took a seat next to the old man, her chestnut hair was stained with gray streaks and her plain brown eyes had fat tears rolling from them.

The man sat next to her, immediately clutching his wife's hand as he sat stoically, his chin tilted up high.

Aria shook her head, the quite frankly surreal atmosphere of the events unfolding causing her to doubt her own perceptions. She was being held, at gunpoint, by a sadistic Russian, a sly looking conman with _orange _eyes, and a six year old girl. Just what the hell was going on?

"Where's Damien?" Kiriak grated, eyeing the little girl with obvious disdain.

She gave him a cheeky smile, her hands crossed behind her and rocking back on her heels, "Dunno." She muttered.

"What do you mean you don't know!" He shouted, his face going red, "You were assigned that compartment with him!"

"Calm down," Loki interjected, "You're scaring our passengers."

"Who the hell cares?" Kiriak shouted, louder this time.

"Oh, I remember now!" The girl chirped joyously, "He went pee!"

Aria felt her eyes widening, this 'team' or whatever the hell they were, seemed to be arguing more than actually accomplishing anything. For some reason, that felt awfully familiar.

Kiriak began swearing in a rapid string of Russian, before turning to Loki and the girl, "Guard the passengers, I'm going to get that sack of shit," He stated roughly, turning his attention back to Aria, Chuck, and the others. He pointed the barrel once again at Aria's head, "Watch this one closely, she's trouble. I see it in her eyes." He snarled before tucking the gun in his jacket and stomping off angrily towards the front compartment of the train.

Silence filled the area as Aria tensed, her eyes drifting to her captors to her companions. Somewhere between Los Angeles and Portland, the quest for normalcy had gone horribly wrong.

"Mr. Loki, they're awfully quiet," The girl said matter-of-factly.

"Most likely, Kiriak scared the piss out of them," He muttered to his significantly shorter companion. He cleared his throat, "I believe introductions are in order. I'm Loki, save your compliments, and this midget's Rena."

Rena grinned coyly and gave a mock curtsey, the effect ruined when the gun caught the light and shined in her hand. It was then that Aria noticed the small child also had the same unnervingly lively eyes of her companion. They were forest green in color, and held a darkness and malevolence unfitting for a girl her age.

Loki smirked and turned to his charges, "Your names? And please, just names. No heart-aching and poignant back-story, no pathetic pleas for life. Those really get quite annoying after a while." He tapped his chin, "Hmm….let's start with…you!" He pointed at the old man, who was so startled that he almost fell out of his seat.

"I'm-I'm…" He stuttered, paralyzed with fright.

"Are you a mute?" Loki sneered condescendingly.

"I think he's just stupid," Rena clarified.

"Thomas!" He proclaimed, "Please don't hurt me!"

A flash of something indescribable appeared on Loki's face, "I believe I specifically asked for no pathetic pleas. Those make me irritable, when I get irritable, Rena takes it out for me."

The little girl smiled and waved, while proudly displaying her pistol.

The old man, Thomas, immediately fell silent, clutching onto his gold pocket watch like a lifeline.

"Well, you are positively boring," Loki drawled, pointing next at Chuck, "You, you look mildly entertaining."

The grimace on Chuck's face portrayed that he felt more insulted by that comment than complimented, "Collin," He lied simply.

Aria's attention was diverted when she felt pressure on her thighs, she turned her head to meet startlingly viridian eyes. Rena stood hunched over her, her hands balancing on Aria's legs, "How about you, pretty lady? What's your name?"

Knowing immediately that using her real name with these psychos was out of the question, she blurted the first name that came to her head, "Jimena."

For some reason, Chuck jerked slightly when he heard that name, but Aria disregarded it.

"I like your hair, Jimena!" She stated, winding a tiny fist through her curls, "I wish I had curly hair," She pouted, her features starting to get contorted in anger as her eyes flashed, "It isn't fair! I'm always _so_ ugly! All other girls are _so _much more prettier than me!" Her fist began to tug.

"Ow," Aria muttered out of instinct.

"You aren't saying anything! Does that mean you agree? Do you think I'm **ugly**!" She cried in an anguished tone not suiting a six year old.

"Rena that is enough," Cut in Loki, his voice impassive, "Show some restraint for Hades' sake."

She gave a 'humph!' of frustration before turning and sitting down with a hard thud on the floor, her arms crossed over her chest and her green eyes glowering.

"Great," Loki muttered, running a hand through his hair, "Now you've got her sulking," He stated rather accusingly at Aria.

Not for the first time that night, Aria found herself wondering why freak shows were attracted to her like metal to magnets.

"Why exactly are we here?" Came the man from the married couple who had not yet spoken that night, "We offered to give you all of our money!"

Loki rose an eyebrow, "What's your name?" He asked flatly, turning his attention away from the 'sulking' Rena to the man.

"Otis." He replied, trying to look brave despite the fact that his knees were shaking rather viciously.

"Well," His eyebrow was raised and his voice had gone softer and much dangerous, "'Otis', first things first, I don't give three shits about your money."

This caused quite a reaction throughout the prisoners, if these strange people were not after their money, then what were they after?

"Money and possessions aren't my area of expertise," The orange haired man continued, oblivious to the reactions of those sitting, "I'm a man who's more interested in power." His pale fist clenched, "For me, watching those like this terrified bastard here," At this he gestured to Thomas, "Is a much more intoxicating feeling than the elation that money can bring." He smirked, "I like having control, I like being stronger than you imps here, so you'll best keep quiet before I use my power over you to silence you, and your wife, myself." He paused, "Understand?"

Otis nodded, having gone considerably pale before he slumped against said wife.

Aria exhaled slowly, she had to get the hell out of here, as quickly as possible. The way that Loki had quickly switched personas from laidback to ruthless only implied that the slightest wrong move would prove to be her undoing, and those of the other innocent passengers.

The sound of the sliding door opening, stopped everything in the train as all attention shifted towards the source of the disruption.

A boy, looking about seventeen or so, was roughly shoved into the compartment. His black hair jutted up at all sorts of crazy angles, and Aria noticed yet again, that his eyes were an unnatural pigment, an electric sort of blue that was not similar to any other's that she had seen. He was breathtakingly handsome, and dressed casually in jeans and a black jacket.

He was followed immediately by Kiriak, who was looking even more enraged than usual, which was saying something.

"Damn, Kiri, there's no need to shove," The boy muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Damien!" Cried Rena, her persona also flipping like a switch as she laid eyes on the intruder, abandoning her sulky phase to wrap her tiny arms around him, "You went pee for a really long time!" She exclaimed, as if it were some sort of phenomenal and colossal achievement.

"Heh," Damien muttered awkwardly, his eyes shifting around nervously.

"He didn't go 'pee' alone," Kiriak spat, propelling another person into the room. It was a blonde, about eighteen and wearing nothing but a tube top and mini-skirt.

She pressed a hand to her forehead and muttered, "Where am I?" Her voice was groggy and fuzzy sounding.

"At gunpoint," Kiriak responded coldly, removing his gun from the jacket yet again, "Go sit with the rest of them."

Her heavily mascara-clad eyes widened and she shot up like a rocket to take a seat next to Otis.

Rena sounded incredulous, "You never go pee with me!" She protested enviously.

"It's big boy stuff," Damien responded.

"Oh," Rena whispered, awed.

"As much as I enjoy abusing power," Came Loki's cool voice, "And I do. I believe Kiriak, myself, and our leader have instructed you to keep yours at bay around young women."

Aria, who had been calmly sitting on the sidelines, for lack of nothing else to do, had her interest perked at Loki's statement. Power? What type? Something about these robbers wasn't adding up.

Damien shrugged, "It was harmless, she doesn't even remember."

"That's not the point!" Kiriak barked, his temper flaring, "We were sent here to finish up the problem, and you are letting yourself get distracted by some random blonde!"

Damien puffed up his chest, "Her name is Lilian, and I was _not _distracted in the least bit!"

Lilian, the blonde girl, sat up straight with alarm, "How do you know my name! I don't even _know _you!"

The boy smirked directly at the two older men he was working with, "See? Harmless."

"Enough of this nonsense!" Kiriak bellowed, "Have you forgotten our purpose? Have you forgotten Mammon?"

Damien's smirk fell and was replaced by grim frown, "I haven't forgotten what happened."

"Good," Kiriak stated coldly, turning to face Aria and the others, "Because I want revenge. I want blood spilt."

Aria could feel her hands beginning to tremble yet again.

Loki sighed, exasperated, "Then let's begin, shall we? No doubt we are already running behind schedule, and our mistress will not be pleased."

"Kiss ass." Muttered Damien, as he jammed his hands in his pockets.

"Looking out for myself," Corrected Loki, "If she's pissed at you buffoons, chances are she'll be angered at me as well."

"I'm bored," Came the high-pitched voice of Rena.

"Then you can collect what we're looking for," Damien snapped, obviously in a foul mood.

"Okay!" She cried happily, jumping up and picking up the stuffed rabbit she had carried in with her. She pulled the zipper at its stomach, and it became a makeshift sac, "Everyone put all jewelry into Mr. Zippo please!" She proclaimed, shoving the disemboweled stuffed bunny in everyone's faces.

As it passed, each passenger placed their valuables into the rabbit. Otis a watch and his cufflinks, his wife her earrings, Thomas the gold pocket watch, Lilian a bracelet, and Chuck the gold ring with a purple stone that was on his thumb. When the rabbit came to Aria, with Rena watching expectantly, she realized that she had no jewelry on. Digging in her pockets she procured the twenty, the last of her cash. However, when she went to place it in the rabbit, A tiny hand stopped her.

"No monies," Rena said, her voice now eerily deep and menacing, "Only jewelry."

Aria stared at her, feeling oddly intimidated, "I don't have any," She whispered, knowing that the only jewelry she ever wore was the pendant of Selene, the pendant that she had left at home.

Rena seemed to scrutinize her with her cat-like eyes before nodding and handing the rabbit to Loki, "Here you go!" She chimed brightly, the dark aura instantly dispelled.

"Uhhuh," Loki muttered, turning the rabbit over and rifling through the jewelry. After Loki had inspected a piece, he gave it to Rena, who then returned the piece to its owner. Aria watched this process in amazement, what was the point of a robbery if they weren't going to keep the loot?

"Anything?" Questioned Kiriak.

Loki shook his head, "It all looks like worthless garbag- Oh, hello." He stated, picking up the ring that Chuck had contributed to the pile, "Now this looks promising."

"Let me see!" Rena proclaimed, jumping up and down in excitement, but she was ignored.

"Well?" Damien prompted.

Aria shifted her eyes over to the owner of the ring, who looked increasingly uncomfortable, an out-of-place expression for the surfer.

"There's an inscription, in Latin," Loki spoke on, "Says 'Protect and Destroy', there's all sorts of old magic in it."

Aria's eyes widened in shock as she looked at Chuck, wondering why he would have something engraved with a Latin message. And more importantly, why this Loki was able to translate it. Her palms began to sweat heavily, the coincidences were too many, and she began to deduct that this was most certainly linked to the life she had thought she left behind.

A cruel smile appeared on Kiriak's face, "Good. Which one?"

Loki returned the facial expression, pointing at Chuck, "That one."

The shaved man's movements were far quicker than humanly possible as he disappeared in a black flash, only to reappear about an inch away from Chuck. Aria found herself unable to believe the man's speed and fear filled her for her almost-friend. The girl, Lilian, let out a startled scream, that was echoed by Otis's wife.

Kiriak's arm reached out, and his hand wrapped around Chuck's throat, lifting him off of his seat. Without hesitation, he slammed the boy against the wall of the train. Chuck's hands grasped futilely around Kiriak's, attempting to pry him off.

"What the hell's your problem?" He choked out, obviously confused with the situation.

"Let him go!" Aria found herself crying, quickly cursing her lack of restraint as she attempted to reach Chuck. She was blocked by Damien, who grabbed her by the biceps.

"Stay right here, little girl," He hissed, his blue eyes growing a shade darker, "Your little boyfriend has it coming."

"Why-?" Aria started to question, but she was cut off.

"We know who you are," Came Loki, stepping out from behind Kiriak to face the struggling Chuck.

"What?" Chuck gasped, his breathing becoming struggled.

Kiriak's sadistic smirk grew as he tightened his grip, "We are looking for a Follower of Selene." He stated.

At his words, Aria felt her knees turn to jelly and she fell limp in Damien's grip.

"And," Came Loki's oily voice, "It looks like we found him."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

**Next Up: **Who are these people? What do they want? And more importantly, what have they done already?


	7. The Seven Vices

_Night's Children: Cetera Desunt_

**Chapter Six: The Seven Vices**

"I…don't…know…what…you're…talking…about," Chuck attempted to protest as he struggled with the breath that was rapidly leaving his lungs, his sandaled feet flailing in pathetic attempts to discourage Kiriak's grip.

"Do not play dumb," Kiriak hissed, his fingers clenching even tighter around his windpipe, "We know who you are, and what you did."

Aria watched the scene in front of her unravel with horror. It had to be one huge misunderstanding, because she was not naïve enough to believe that it was Chuck in all actuality who these strange robbers were searching for. And, using the ability of common sense, it was easy to conclude who their real target was. Herself.

But she didn't understand _why_. To her knowledge, she had never met any of the four who seemed to hold a personal vendetta against the 'Follower of Selene', nevertheless offended them. What did they want?

Her introspection was cut short by horrid, racking sounds that were made when a person is choking to death. Her eyes were immediately trained on Chuck, his feet had stopped their flailing and his eyes were beginning to roll back into his head as his hands still attempted to break Kiriak's grip.

A hideous fear filled her then.

After all, the Goddess of Healing should be able to recognize death's creeping.

"Let him go!" She protested, renewed with vigor as sheer instinct drove her movement, "You're killing him!" She cried, as she began to fight Damien's hold on her arms.

"Shut up, little girl," Kiriak hissed between his clenched teeth, "He has it coming."

"Bad man's gonna get it," Rena stated matter-of-factly from her seat, nodding knowingly.

"He hasn't done anything!" Aria attempted again, only to be shoved roughly back into her seat by the blue-eyed robber.

"You're getting on my nerves," Damien spat, "I say we kill her too."

Those words set a stab into whatever conviction she had, and she slumped, once again compliant. In the background, Chuck's harsh gasps for air had become further spaced and more shallow. "Please," She muttered pathetically, "Just let him go, he's dying!"

Loki, who stood next to Kiriak crossed his arms over his chest and rolled his eyes, "Dying? I sorely doubt it." His citrus colored eyes narrowing, "No idiot would go as far as to die to preserve his cover."

Aria's lower lip began to tremble, "What do you mean?"

"Duh!" Squeaked the smallest robber, "He fixes owies!"

"She means we're looking for a healer," Loki continued.

The blood drained from her face and the air left her lungs as she realized that any reason for doubt was now vanquished. It was her they were looking for, and it was supposed to be her within Kiriak's fierce grip. Not Chuck, who was more than likely an innocent bystander who had the bad luck to be wearing his family heirloom.

"Kiriak," Loki said, his tone implying that Kiriak should restrain his ever-increasing rage, "She said to wait until she arrived."

"He's fine!" He snarled, even though Chuck had long gone limp in his chokehold.

"Kiriak!" This time, Loki's voice held more authority and assertiveness, "Put him down!"

Kiriak's sneer grew in size, but he tossed Chuck to the floor like a rag doll, and he hit the ground with a sickening thud, his head connecting to the back of the bench. Kiriak sent his orange-haired counterpart a venomous glare, "He'll heal, she said he would regenerate automatically."

All four of the robbers stared then at the unconscious surfer with a scrutiny and concentration that would have been almost comical, had the situation not been so dire. Silence filled the cab, and yet nothing happened with Chuck, and he did not regain consciousness. Aria desperately stayed the urge to sprint to his side and check for vitals, knowing that it would turn their attention towards her.

It was Rena, who interrupted the ironically suffocating quiet. She tugged on Loki's pant leg, "Mr. Loki, I think he's broke." She whispered, nudging the teen on the floor in the ribs with her little buckle shoes to emphasis the point.

Loki turned and glared at Kiriak, "You went too far!" He yelled condescendingly, "Now it's _our _asses!"

Kiriak returned his scream with one of his own as he signaled wildly to the fallen Chuck with the barrel of his gun, "He's fine! Breathing! Look, breathing!"

Loki snorted, "That's preposterous! The Mistress stated that the Selene worshiper would be a healer! One that can regenerate! He's the only one with the trinket, it has to be him!"

"He could have stolen it," Damien supplied coolly from the sidelines, "Because it looks like this kid isn't getting up anytime soon to me."

As the robbers continued to argue amongst themselves, Aria's eyes drifted over the passengers once again. The married couple were numb, the wife's hysterics forgotten and the husband, Otis, simply sat, staring blankly. Thomas, the older man with the pocket watch, was as pale as a ghost and shaking violently. However, the only one making any sound at all was Lilian, the blonde girl, who was sobbing to herself. These people were all innocents, and they were all subjected to this terror because some robbers wanted…her.

A myriad of thoughts flew through her then. Chuck could have been killed, he came close enough as it was. These people appeared ruthless, holding back only because they were afraid of breaking some rule, not out of any sense of morality or compassion. Should she confess? Should she save these people? Or would her doing so only place her in unnecessary danger? For the first time, she desperately wanted Jimena to be there with her. She would know what to do, and she would make the right choice. Aria could only wallow in her own indecisiveness and self-preservation.

Suddenly, for the second time that night, the train jerked roughly, the lights dimming and the wheels spinning to a stop.

The four immediately stopped their bickering and froze.

"We…we can't be here already," Loki whispered slowly.

"There's no way…" Damien trailed off, "Suiren must not know how to operate this thing."

"Suiren knows," Kiriak cut him off, "Do not be a fool."

"We're in big trouble now." Rena said fearfully.

"What's going on?" Otis piped up, his vacant expression still in place.

Loki grimaced, "It seems that our boss has arrived."

A tense and heavy feeling filled the room then, as each passenger shared the single fear of the danger this psychotic group's leader would present. Thomas began to pray, quietly to himself, as his veined hands gripped his watch tightly. Aria stared at the old man, her eyes widening in a realization as she observed his hands. These robbers were most definitely not Followers. The only reasonable solution was destroyed when she noticed that the pocket watch, a time piece, had been in plain sight throughout the entire ordeal. A Follower would have destroyed it, their hatred for those things would not allow one to be within their presence.

She felt cold sweat beads begin to form on her forehead, if these robbers weren't Followers, what were they? The speed with which Kiriak had moved was inhuman, and their eyes portrayed some sort of supernatural sentiment.

Her deductions were cut short when fast-falling footsteps were heard echoing throughout the train. She tilted her head up just in time to see another person enter the room, and her jaw dropped when she noticed who it was.

Blue-black hair was done up in a sloppy ponytail, almond-shaped grey eyes pierced through her own, and she wore a bus station uniform with an embroidered '7'.

"You!" She whispered in shock, immediately recognizing the tired looking teenager from the bus station. The teenager that had directed her to this train. She then noticed that the same sense of shock had passed over Lilian, as well as Thomas.

The girl smiled back cattily only at Aria, completely ignoring the other two shocked occupants of the cab.

"Suiren!" Loki proclaimed in half anxiety, half aggravation, "Is she here?"

The girl, now identified as Suiren nodded, "Hai. This is where I was instructed to stop," She yawned and shifted slightly on her feet, "Is there a reason why you are all crowding around some stiff?"

Rena stuck her tongue out at the older girl, "He's the one we've been looking for, except he's broke!"

"Broke?" Suiren reiterated in curiosity, and turned to look at Kiriak, "Let me guess, it was Kiriak who broke him."

"Ever perceptive," Loki muttered under his breath, tossing the ring to Suiren who easily caught it, "This was his, can't you feel Selene's influence in it?"

She stared at the ring, and for a moment, her grey eyes glowed, "This is very strong, but I don't think that this was what she was looking for," She muttered.

"What do you see in his aura?" Damien inquired cryptically.

Suiren sighed as her eyes once again began to glow, "It's fuzzy, Mistress's power is dimming," She muttered as she squinted, "But it seems strong, unusually strong." There was a pause as she turned from the unconscious Chuck towards the other passengers, "But it is also strong in the others I led here," She whispered, "The blonde's is the weakest, the old man's a little stronger…" She trailed off as her finger pointed straight towards Aria, incriminating, "But _hers_ is the strongest presence here, aside from the boy you just throttled."

Kiriak snorted dismissively to the accusation.

Damien stared at her, and Aria felt herself back up in her seat as she felt a choking sensation rise up in her throat, weakly, she muttered, "What are you talking about?"

Loki grinned, making his angular face appear wolfish and predatory, "We're talking about the presence of Selene, little girl," He took a step closer, "And according to Suiren, you and that boy on the ground have the strongest auras."

"But," Damien cut him off, "Suiren isn't a master of the ability, and Mistress stated that _all _of these passengers had a connection to Selene." He looked at Kiriak in contempt, "Don't jump to conclusions like last time."

Kiriak growled, "It made no difference in the end, I found and decimated the target," He rolled his eyes, "I found that Tessa Lockland and followed the Mistress's wishes, I don't see the harm if civilians were casualties."

Aria gaped when she heard Kiriak's slip. Tessa Lockland, the illusionist Daughter of the Moon? She wanted to be sick when she recalled Jimena's words earlier that day, about how they had found her beaten to a pulp in some alleyway. She trembled, after Kiriak's display of power with Chuck, she had no doubt that he was more than capable of rendering Tessa into such a position.

"Tessa Lockland?" The feminine voice threw her off her spree of blind terror for a moment as she turned to see that it was Lilian, the sobbing wreck, who had recognized the name, "What did you do to her?"

"Ah," Loki crowed, "A plot twist."

Kiriak was in front of the blonde in moments, the gun pressed against her forehead, "How do you know her?"

Lilian had once again resorted to her fit of hysteria as she began hyperventilating, her eyes looking upwards in an attempt to see the gun, "She's-" She inhaled shallowly and desperately.

"She's?" Kiriak spat in irritation as he cocked the hammer of the handgun.

"She's my cousin!" Lilian screamed, sobbing heavily as she pressed her hands to her face, "Her dad's my dad's brother," She wept, "Please don't shoot me!"

"Kiriak, her aura's too weak to be the one we're searching for." Suiren reproached, her voice holding an icy detached quality, "Torturing her like this is pointless."

Kiriak nodded grimly, and Lilian exhaled in relief shakily before continuing her crying as he removed the gun from her forehead. But then, everyone froze at his next words, "Then so is keeping her alive," His hand was quicker than imagined as the gun shifted down from her head towards her gut, and his finger wrapped around the trigger as he was about to squeeze a slug into her stomach-

"What exactly, is going on here?" Came a regal, and dignified voice from the opposite end of the cab.

Everything seemed to freeze as the other four robbers turned and went on their knees reverently. Kiriak froze his actions, as he too slowly turned around to face the source of the voice, dropping to one knee, "Mistress." He whispered humbly.

Aria allowed the air to come back into her lungs as she then realized that Lilian, Tessa's supposed cousin, had escaped a bullet to her stomach. But when she looked up, and saw the amethyst eyes of the 'Mistress' the air rushed right back out. The coincidences of the night were far too many, and when she recognized the elderly train ticket saleswoman from before, she knew she was in way over her head.

"You've got to be kidding me," She mumbled to herself.

The Mistress stood with authority, her grey-purple hair still up in its bun, and her hands grasping a wooden cane tightly. At her hip there was some sort of rectangular pouch, and her purple eyes blazed with intensity. "I leave you five with a simple task and immediately you resort to ruthlessness," She glared at Kiriak with obvious disgust, "I specifically instructed that no killing was to take place until I had arrived."

"Yes, Mistress." Kiriak muttered once again.

At her cold, clipped words the passengers began to get anxious again, squirming in their seats.

The older woman, whose name Aria currently could not place, scanned the area with her eerie eyes, her gaze landing on each of the robbers in a seeming evaluation, "Loki," She said at last, the orange-haired man's head snapping up instantly, "Tell me what is going on." Her words were as cold and hard as granite.

Loki cleared his throat, the somewhat smooth con man actually appearing nervous, "We apprehended all the passengers as requested, and proceeded to search for the signet of Selene." He gave a discreet nod towards Suiren who handed Chuck's ring to the old woman.

The Mistress held the ring to eye level as she seemed to inspect it carefully, her violet eyes igniting for a moment, "This isn't it." She replied calmly, "While it is full of Selene's powers, it is not her amulet." She sighed with an air of disdain, "I'd suspect thirteenth century monk instead."

Loki lowered his head humbly, "It was the only thing with Selene's aura around it."

The Mistress stared at her lackey for a few minutes before nodding slightly, "Then there is only two other options. One, the person we're searching for isn't here," Her eyes trailed the crowd over again before landing on Aria, "Or they're hiding from us."

Kiriak, still kneeling on the ground, followed her eyesight to the teenager, his grin looking feral and reminiscent to a shark.

Aria stiffened, and wrapped her arm around her shoulder, praying to whoever could hear that they would just leave her and the other passengers alone. Cold sweat beaded down her forehead, and her eyes kept reverting back to the unconscious figure on the floor. Concern filled her, to the point of paranoia and outright terror. She was found out, and would be punished for something she wasn't sure she had committed.

"Who are you? What do you want with us?" Came a series of questions that threw her thought process out of whack, Aria turned and realized that it was the brunette, the wife, that had spoken for the first time that night. Betraying her earlier sobs, her voice was smooth and utterly calm and Aria envied her for that brief second.

"Silence!" Kiriak barked, making the middle-aged woman flinch slightly.

"Now, now Kiriak," Came the Mistress. From her inflection she almost sounded like a concerned grandmother, "It's rude to keep our guests ignorant."

Aria released a breath that she hadn't known she was holding, realizing that the housewife had just bought her some extra time.

Three footsteps echoed against the wooden floor of the train, as the old woman sauntered forward towards her inquisitor. The presence of her cane did not make her appear feeble as it did with most older women, but rather much more intimidating. "What's your name?" She hissed through clenched teeth.

The housewife seemed to loose a bit of her nerve, "Miranda," She whispered.

"A pleasure, Miranda, I am Ms. Agatha Regan," She replied, clearing her throat, "These are my subordinates," At this she pointed, a manicured and regal fingernail extending towards the kneeling figures, "Kiriak, Loki, Rena, Damien, and finally Suiren." Each nodded in affirmation as their names were called, "And I'm quite afraid," Her grandmother voice faded almost instantly, "That if you're not careful tonight one of us six will kill you."

Miranda paled to a ghastly shade, fear paralyzing her. Otis, the husband, gripped her hand tightly, his own face becoming ashen.

Aria watched the old woman bully the pair, and something akin to bile and disgust filled her, "What are you doing here? Why are you terrorizing all these innocent people?" She demanded, as a speck of her old personality flared up within her, "We've done nothing wrong!"

Violet eyes flashed and Aria swallowed a hard lump in her throat, "Someone in this car is far from innocent," She spoke crisply, but the tightened grip on her cane betrayed her fury bubbling just beneath the surface, "We want compensation."

Aria shook her head, "For what?"

"For the murder of one of our own, Mammon." The old lady ran her tongue over her weathered and cracked lips, "The moon Goddess Selene has sent one of her followers to destroy us, and we want revenge for the death of our third. Our master has given permission to kill whoever gets in our way."

The Daughter of the Moon pressed her palm against her forehead, "You're not making any sense!" She blurted, not understanding the allegations against her.

The eyes narrowed once again, "I, little girl, do not have to explain myself to _anyone_, least of all some degenerate child."

Aria bit viciously down on her lip and stared at her feet for a moment, her mind working as quick as it possibly could to figure these robbers out. Her thoughts were startled when she heard a groan, and she looked to see Chuck beginning to regain consciousness. A flutter of hope filled her then, thankful for his safety.

She exhaled slowly, she had to find out the reasoning behind this attack, and it seemed the only one with the authority to talk was the old hag, who seemed quite prideful herself. Aria worded her question as diplomatically as possible, "Please, if you could just elaborate your reasoning a little more, I was having difficulties comprehending your words."

Agatha snorted, "My reasoning would be lost on such an ignorant specimen," She scoffed before sliding to look at the girl, "But no matter. As I've said, one of you on this train murdered a member of our…family, if you will. We are here to extract compensation."

"I didn't hurt anyone!" Lilian blurted suddenly, "Please let me go!"

The woman in purple once again snorted, "That's hardly a bargain, the word of a teenager for a life? Doubtful."

"How do you know it was one of us?" Aria muttered yet again, "Anyone could have killed this Mammon."

"Because you all have the presence!" Came Suiren, who received a sharp look of content from her mistress for her interruption. Humbly, she lowered her head to the ground.

"What the whelp means," She hissed out slowly, "Is that I can detect the presence of any otherworldly influence, the aura of Selene is with you all…except," Her finger pointed, landing on the married couple, "You two. I assume you just have bad luck."

It seemed as if the middle-aged pair were not sure whether to be relieved or terrified.

"And I know it was a Follower of Selene because of these," She reached into the strange pack that was nestled against her hip and Aria held her breath, preparing for the worst. She exhaled quickly when she saw the old woman withdraw a simple deck of cards. They were weathered and had an odd insignia on the back, but cards nonetheless, "They tell me my future, and yours." Purple glared at amber and Aria backed away slightly. "Care to look?"

Hesitantly, Aria approached the woman, looking carefully to the submissive lackeys, waiting for one to stand and shoot her while she was distracted. But none moved, and she tensed before hesitantly picking up the top card.

"Look." Agatha said.

Aria slowly turned over the top card, and was surprised to see the depiction. Through knowing her friend Amanda, who was into such things, she recognized an illustration from the major arcane of a standard tarot deck. A shiver went through her as she read the bottom, "Judgment." She whispered.

"An interesting choice," Agatha smirked, sounding as if she'd won a lottery of some sort, "Would you like to see some of the others?"

Aria shook her head, her fingers shaking as she tried desperately to remember what the Judgment card stood for and represented.

"Are you sure?" The old woman chided, "They have wonderful illustrations," With that, she withdrew the next four cards and slapped them onto Aria's quaking palm.

Tentatively, she turned over all four cards in her hands, and her jaw fell when she saw the illustrations.

The first card she held in her hand was labeled The Hermit, and depicted a cloaked figure holding a lantern above the heavens. Her breath caught in her throat when she noticed that the figure, upon closer inspection, had maroon colored hair and tired, gray eyes. She instantly placed that card behind the Judgment one, desperate to not see the parallel. But it was to no avail, as the next card, The Star, held a thoughtful and young brunette sitting on a hillside looking at the night sky. A girl with golden eyes and numerous facial piercings. That one was also quickly discarded, until she saw the next card, entitled The Magician, with a blonde, blue-eyed teenager standing behind a table of some sorts with a crestfallen look on her face and a moon amulet around her neck. The final card, was that of The High Priestess, and Aria immediately knew that no High Priestess illustration ever had two tattooed tears in her eyes.

"How?" Aria whispered shakily.

The elder woman smiled cattily, "Easily, my master has bestowed upon me a great gift." She quickly snatched the cards out of Aria's shaking hands, "The gift to capture souls in these cards."

And suddenly, it clicked. The self induced comas of Riley and Imy, the report of Tessa being beaten, and some obscure warning that she couldn't remember quite clearly kept circling in her head. This strange string of events that she hadn't thought were related now all seemed to start on one specific night. Two nights ago, when she had liberated the Follower who was attempting to rob a bank.

She trembled, and backed away slightly from the old woman, and her five soldiers who were now standing up from their positions. Carefully, she licked her lips and asked, "Who was Mammon?"

"Now you're asking the right questions," Agatha stated, nodding her head to Loki.

"Mammon was our third member," Loki began, "If you couldn't tell, little girl, each of us is bestowed with a gift from our master." He sighed, "Kiriak with his unnatural speed, Suiren with her ability to copy moves or powers from anyone, Damien and his power to hypnotize, Rena and her everlasting youth, myself invulnerability to physical harm, and The Mistress, who has the greatest powers of all."

Aria could feel her throat becoming incredibly dry, "Which are?"

Loki coughed awkwardly into his hand, "Unfathomable. The master gave her the power of convenience. Any power she truly needs, she is granted."

Terror gripped her heart as the implication of those words fully hit her, and she once again began to shake.

"Anyways, Mammon had the most unfortunate power of all," Loki continued, orange eyes blazing, "He could possess other's bodies, but because of this he lost his own. He existed as a sort of parasitic spirit, filtering in and out of other people." He paused, "And, just so you realize the full effect of the back story, our lord has regarded the Atrox as untrustworthy for a few centuries, meaning he desired a spy. And since Mammon's eyes flashed yellow occasionally when he was in a host's body, that means that-"

"His host was a Follower," Aria muttered, horrified.

"That's correct," Loki's eyes narrowed sinisterly, "A Follower that the Healer of Selene destroyed when he or she purified the host's body of his presence."

A myriad of feelings hit her then, and she could only shake her head and ask one of the most mundane and simultaneously incriminating questions she could ask, "How do you know that it's me?"

"We don't," Agatha stated, "But we do know it was a Daughter of the Moon who committed the murder," She once again withdrew the four cards from her deck, "We tracked each of them down, questioned them before stealing their souls in reparation for their crimes against us. We found all of them, but we needed two more to fulfill our revenge. The fourth Daughter, whose fault it was, and the Magna Mater, who mentored them." She singled out The High Priestess card, which bore Jimena's resemblance, "When we cornered this one, she had stated that there were only three Daughters of the Moon, since she didn't look like one to lie, we believed her and switched our focus, drawing all those with the aura of Selene to this train tonight."

"The master had instructed us that the Healer would bear some sort of crest or pendant, showing their allegiance to Selene," Loki cut in again, gesturing to the slowly stirring Chuck on the floor, "Which is why we thought it was originally him."

She shook her head as if to dispel the accusations that were being flung at her, "Who is this master?" She demanded.

The old woman smiled, "They call him many names, most notably, the King of the Underworld."

Aria racked her mind for a possible correlation between the title and Greek Mythology and her eyes almost bulged out of her sockets, "Hades? You've been sent by Hades!"

"Ooo, a scholar," Damien commented dryly from the sidelines, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest and looking incredibly bored. Rena absently tugged on his pant leg.

"You've angered our master by destroying one of his guardians," Kiriak stated, once again withdrawing the handgun, "And now you, like your friends, must pay the price."

She backed up again hesitantly, until she felt the backs of her knees hit the bench, "I'm not who you're looking for!" She mumbled pathetically, tears welling in her eyes, "I can't be who you're looking for!" She continued to protest, self-deluded and in denial of the obvious.

Kirak bared his too-sharp teeth and began to cock the hammer of the gun, before Agatha placed a stilling hand on his arm, "You're not Selene's Healer?" She asked, her tone deceptively flat.

"No!" Aria lied through her teeth, too afraid to say anything different.

The violet woman pursed her lips, "Very well," She said lowly, "There's one way to find out for sure, isn't there Kiriak?"

The bald man grinned sadistically as he turned on his heel, and faced the old man, Thomas. Without a second's hesitation, he aimed the barrel of the gun, and squeezed off a single slug into the man's stomach.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Woo hoo! We've reached the halfway point! Man this chap was a real biatch to write. This is a longer AN, sorry

**Notes on the Tarot Cards:**

I've actually been able to read tarot cards for a few years now, and I carefully selected which card would hold which character, as with many things, the Major Arcane of the Tarot have several different definitions, but here are the more widely used ones:

_The Hermit_: Riley's card represents isolation, an inner-search, silence, introspection, and reclusion among other things.

_The Star_: Imy's card portrays trust, harmony, optimism, joy, and generosity. Inverse, it means poor mental health, but we'll ignore that one ;)

_The Magician_: Tessa's card is symbolic for personal power, action, manipulation, determination, and energy, the perfect card for an illusionist.

_The High Priestess_: Jimena's card demonstrates wisdom, patience, mystery, and symbolizes someone who sympathizes with one's troubles as she has gone through them herself.

_Judgment_: Aria's card is rather self-explanatory, but it can also represent a fresh or new beginning, salvation, and rebirth.

_Next Up: _When faced with her ultimatum, will Aria be able to make the right choice? The matter of life and death is in her hands, and her fellow passengers are hoping she won't let it slip through her fingers.


	8. Hybris

_Night's Children: Cetera Desunt_

_AN: **WARNING: **_Extremely violent chap, sorry about that. Also, I accidentally typed Joe instead of Thomas last chapter. My b, but I'm too lazy to reupload the chap for one word. Sorry.

Soundtrack: _Rise _by Disturbed and _The Noose_ by A Perfect Circle

…oh yes, and one of these, while we're at it:

_**DISCLAIMER**!_

There, that ought to do it.

**Chapter Seven: Vainglory**

The first reaction was the easiest when the thunder of the gun echoed and assaulted the teenage healer's ears. She screamed, loud and incoherently. The spray of red that accompanied the noise did nothing to stop her, as she inhaled again only to continue.

She was soon not the only one, her cry was met with the falsetto shriek of Lilian, and the bellow and scream of pain from the old man as he writhed spastically in his seat, rivulets of sweat pouring down his forehead as veined hands clenched at his gut.

But, louder than the screams, louder than the cries, was the deep, timorous laughter. Kiriak's dark glasses had slid down to the bridge of his nose, revealing ruby red eyes that were widened in madness as he continued to chuckle like some sort of demon.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Came Otis, the husband.

Kiriak's laughter only increased in intensity as he swerved around to face Otis, "Wrong with me?" He cackled, aiming again for another shot. The other robbers stood by, impassive and uncaring as Kiriak shot off another round, this one going into Otis's kneecap. Tears of joy began to collect in Kiriak's eyes, as he prepared another shot, this time at Miranda's forehead.

"Kiriak," Came the cold voice of his leader, "You've made our point." The old woman stomped her cane against the floor harshly when he did not waver his aim, "Kiriak! Control yourself!"

Kiriak's laugh died slowly, and he stood there, heaving and panting before he calmly put the gun in the shoulder holster on the inside of his jacket and meticulously straightened the sunglasses back on his nose.

Both Thomas and Otis were writhing from their recent injuries, Thomas in his seat and Otis on the floor, swearing profusely. Miranda had started to fuss frantically over her fallen husband, tears streaming down her face as she ripped the hem off of her dress to use as a makeshift tourniquet for his knee. Thomas was still squirming, his back sporadically arching in spasms of pain.

Aria slumped to her knees, and she felt the blood drain from her face as she hid it behind her hands, her mind in chaos, and she found herself only able to repeat a single word, "Why? Why?"

The other passengers were in no better a situation. Lilian had begun to rock back and forth, her knees pressed to her chest as she whispered, "I just want to go home," like a mantra. Chuck still lay sprawled across the ground, but his breathing had become less deep and his eyelids were beginning to flicker as a few fingers wiggled in experimentation.

The gang of six seemed otherwise unmoved. Loki sighed and ran a hand through his orange hair, as if the whole situation was just a waste of his time, while Damien had begun text messaging on a cell phone he had withdrawn from his pocket. Rena hugged her stuffed animal to her chest, her big green eyes staring expectantly as she sucked her thumb. Suiren had not moved since she had arrived, her gaze staring blankly at nothing. Only Kiriak seemed slightly affected, as his eyes were trained to the blood dripping onto the floor, his tongue running over his lips occasionally.

"Now," Agatha stated smoothly over the continual screams of pain coming from the two shot victims, "Do you know why Kiriak shot you?" She asked them in a condescending and patronizing tone.

The two ignored her, groaning and clutching at their wounds. Agatha waited a sole moment before hissing in annoyance, moving the bottom tip of her cane quickly to jar Otis's knee in the side. He let out an animalistic scream as his wife simultaneously pleaded, "Stop it!"

"Now that I've got your attention," Agatha continued, oblivious to what she had just done, "I believe I asked you a question. You'll find I don't like to repeat myself."

"No!" Otis proclaimed, tears welling in his eyes.

"We shot you both, to make a demonstration," Agatha said, swerving on her heel to face her five minions who all immediately snapped to attention, except for Kiriak, whose eyes remained trained on the blood of his victims. "You see, you've both been shot in non fatal but extremely painful locations, the gut and the kneecap. While death is not going to be immediate, if you do not receive medical attention quickly, you will both die from blood loss in an incredibly drawn out and excruciating manner." Agatha strode over to the opposite side of the seat and sat down gently. "I do not happen to be a doctor, but I do happen to be patient."

"You're sick!" The wife accused hoarsely, weeping uncontrollably.

"Quite," Kiriak sneered, showing his gun to enhance his point.

"You can't just let them die here!" Miranda continued.

Agatha sighed and began to pick at her nails, "I must say I agree, to let someone die in such a horrible manner is entirely irresponsible."

The entire cab fell silent as Agatha's eyes drifted over towards Aria, still cradling her head in her hands and whimpering to herself. Aria slowly lifted her head up, to make eye contact, and it was then that she began to cry. Fat tears rolled down her cheeks and her lower lip trembled, but she didn't make a sound as she now understood what means the six were willing to go to.

This was insane! She was only fifteen, there was no way such a weighted decision should rest on her inexperienced shoulders. It was her life or theirs, complete strangers and older men. She continued to cry, as she looked at the leader and whispered the only word she knew at the moment, "Why?"

Agatha's nose turned up as if she had smelled something awful, "Why are you asking me? You're not a healer, their deaths have nothing to do with you." She straightened a bit in her seat. "Or do they?"

Aria began to experience a black out yet again as it felt like her lungs were squeezing the air out of her, "I don't know!" She yelled desperately, her crying reaching intensity as she clutched the sides of her head, rocking like Lilian.

"You don't know?" Agatha repeated whimsically, before lifting a finger at Kiriak, who smiled wolfishly.

"Heh," He grunted before he took the gun out with his inhuman speed and shot another round at Otis, this time in his stomach.

Bang!

Miranda fell and scrambled back as the red spray hit her, and it appeared as if she were going to faint. Otis began to let rip a sound even more primal than the last.

"Stop!" Aria begged, collapsing on her side as her knees gave way, "Stop it! They haven't done anything!"

The mistress shrugged, "Perhaps, perhaps not. But someone has committed the sin for them." Her face darkened, "A life for a life with interest, Kiriak, if you'd please."

Bang!

This time the shot hit Lilian, in the thigh, and she fell back against the seat, shrieks emitting from her.

"I haven't done anything!" Aria protested.

"Precisely my point, Kiriak."

Bang!

Thomas let loose another howl.

Aria screamed with him.

Agatha pressed her lips into a thin line, "This method doesn't seem to be breaking through," Her eyes scanned the train, until they landed on the semi-unconscious Chuck, "That one, he seems vaguely important to her." She sneered, "Through his heart."

As soon as Aria heard those words, it was as if someone had sent a jolt of electricity through her, scrambling numbly, she tried to reach the sleeping surfer, her arms outstretched as her clumsy legs attempted to get to him before the bullet.

Kiriak positioned the gun…

Aria began to cry even harder.

Bang!

"NO!" The Daughter of the Moon screamed.

Silence filled the cab, as everyone looked towards Chuck, and imagine everyone's surprise when they saw him lying comfortably on his side, a bullet hole in the wood inches away from where his heart had once been.

"He…he must have moved," Kiriak muttered in disbelief, knowing the only way he could have maneuvered like that was if he had known subconsciously that the shot was going to come.

Aria slowly felt her heart beginning to start beating in her chest once again and she exhaled. Shakily, she wiped the tears from her face with her hand, her entire being trembling. It took a few minutes to register what had just happened. The shots had switched from pain to kill, and if that bizarre and utterly strange act of Chuck rolling over in his sleep at the last moment wouldn't have happened, the laidback but generally friendly surfer would have been the first casualty. And it would have been all of her fault.

She exhaled heavily, straightening her posture as scenarios hit her like rapid-fire. Her first healing came to her, when her little brother Dylan had charbroiled his arm on the gas stove. After that came the flashbacks of the very first major healing Aria had ever done, bringing back the dreadlocked Twiggy from the brink of death. Quickly, memories came of her reluctant healings of the other Daughters, of her fixing her friend Yvette's migraine, and finally, of her saving Riley last night. Had it truly only been one day? It felt like so much longer…

Her eyes, slightly cloudy from tears, looked at the sprawled figures on the ground and benches, each moaning in pain and sorrow from their gunshot wounds. She then stared at Kiriak, the red-eyed killer, who had begun to reload his handgun.

When the words came, they were not of her own choosing, but rather just slipped out, "_Aut disce aut discede, aude sapere,_" She whispered softly, and imagine her surprise when those strange Latin phrases sent a sense of calm and tranquility over her.

Agatha turned her attention to the girl and sneered, "What is this nonsense?"

Aria raised her eyes up, meeting with the old woman's. It was then that she realized what she should have known all along. These six guardians ,or whatever they called themselves, that were sent by Hades had hurt innocent people. Aria may have been too proud, she may have been a coward and self-centered, but she had never intentionally hurt a person who had never done her any wrong. They were not normal people, she realized that, and somewhere in the back of her mind she heard warning words spoken by a surprisingly gentle voice.

"_Fighting him will bring serious repercussions for you."_

It was also then, amidst the blood and tears, that Aria remembered the life-saving interference of the woman who could have only been a goddess, and her advice. She now understood what she had to do, what she was destined to do.

"_Aut disce aut discede, aude sapre."_ She said evenly, although her voice held a slight quake. She was terrified still, but resolved. Her feet straightened at shoulder width and her chin was tilted high.

"We heard you the first time," Grit out Kiriak, spinning the chamber of his weapon almost lackadaisically

"Either learn or leave, but dare to know," Loki translated, sending her a curious glance, "Now I wonder what that means?"

Rena raised her hand, "I know!" She supplied, but the little girl was once again ignored.

Aria bit her lip in an attempt to stop the shivers as she cleared her throat, "It means that I've learned." She stated, she glared at Agatha who sent her an all-knowing smirk, "Stop hurting them." She commanded shortly.

Agatha drummed her manicured fingers over the head of her cane, "Learned what, exactly?" She muttered, "Look at you, you're obviously frightened out of your wits."

Aria nodded, "Yes, I am," She hated how her voice quaked, "But so is everyone else," She gestured to the passengers, each as ashen and afraid as she was, "And it's my job to protect them, as a Healer of Selene, it is my duty to stop suffering."

She could feel the hatred radiating towards her at her declaration, not only from the Hades Six, but also from the passengers who had been shot because of her. She understood, she deserved their hatred, and she was going to try and make amends.

"So be it," The old woman spat, withdrawing the Judgment card from her deck, "I believe this was the card you chose? I will be most happy to see it filled and next to the others." At this she held up the other four cards.

"_O Mater Lunae, regina nocis, adiuvo me nunc_." Aria prayed to the Goddess, in way of apology, because she knew that the odds were against her in this fight, at about six to one, and that she would not be walking away. At the words, a thrumming of power pulsed through her, and for the first time in a long while, she felt revitalized. Her hands glowed with the signature sky blue of her healing gift, and when she stared at Agatha again, her eyes dilated and surged with a determination she wasn't sure she held.

"I'm ready," Aria spoke, loosening her shoulders and clenching her fists, preparing for an attack.

"Good," Agatha mumbled, "So are we." She turned and nodded at Damien, "You first."

Damien's face lit up with a genuine smile for the first time that night, while Kiriak looked angry and betrayed. "Why not me?" He barked, "I'm the best fighter!"

Agatha held up a hand and Kiriak's nostrils flared but he remained silent.

The boy with dark blue eyes immediately rolled up his sleeves and charged at her, and Aria quickly noted that he would be a formidable opponent. His right fist charged at her, and Aria was amazed at how fluidly and easily she was able to dodge it, rearing back and giving him a blow of her own, a solid high kick right under his chin. His head snapped back wickedly, and he lost his footing, collapsing to the ground.

Her movements being directed by an almost otherworldly source, Aria had no hesitation as she ignited her healing powers and pressed a hand solidly against Damien's chest, going back to the mentality of the night she had fought Mammon, and attempted to heal the evil within him as she closed her eyes.

At first nothing happened, but when Aria heard a deep bellow and smelled smoke, she immediately opened her eyes and saw steam rising from Damien's chest, as well as a hole burning through his shirt. In her awe, she forgot all about Damien being able to move, as he quickly kicked her in the stomach, propelling her away as he scrambled to his feet, coughing and panting heavily. Blood had dribbled down his chin and he looked at her with the purest form of contempt.

"BITCH!" He snarled, but it was not as vicious as he had intended, for his voice was hoarse and croaky.

Aria moaned from the hit as she got back up on her feet, her hands still glowing blue, but with a slightly less brilliant hue. For some odd reason, she knew that this was a borrowed strength, and that she needed to use it sparingly. Her fast reactions was all that saved her as Damien reared back his fist again, this time for her face. She had no time to dodge, but brought up her forearms in an 'X' shape across her face to absorb some of the force. It stung like hell when his fist connected, but she knew it would have hurt a hell of a lot more if it had gotten her where he had intended.

As fast as she could, Aria swung her left fist down, landing a solid punch into Damien's stomach. She sent some healing force into his gut, and he staggered backwards. Swaying, the two opponents stared each other down. Damien sneered, "I'm through with playing nice little girl," He growled, his eyes glowing even more vibrant, "Time to hypnotize you into destroying yourself."

Aria felt like someone had shoved a ball of tacks down her throat as she realized she had no idea to counter this sort of attack. Tessa and Riley were the masters of mental attacks, not her. She grit her teeth and offered up another silent prayer to her mother goddess, "Please, please, please." She muttered.

Damien just smirked as his eyes unfocused, staring straight at her, and Aria felt the distinct sensation of something heavy falling over her. Damien's eyes, the dark blue of his iris swirling like a spiral, widened further and Aria braced herself for the worst.

Imagine her surprise, when Damien began to cough up blood, doubling over and clenching his stomach over the wound Aria had just inflicted upon him. The heavy feeling that was over her vanished, as he hit the ground, face down.

"DAMIEN!" Cried Rena, rushing forward and shoving his shoulder, "Get up! Bad lady didn't hurt you that bad!"

Agatha stared at him and said, "He's still breathing," as if she were remarking about some sort of cockroach, "He'll be fine." Agatha nodded at Aria, something of approval on her face, "I wanted him to gauge your strength, and I see that now I'm going to have to fight dirty. I underestimated you." She turned and looked at Kiriak, seeming as if he were about to burst from excitement, "You'll have more of a problem with Wrath and Acedia, I'm hoping." She cleared her throat, "Kiriak, Suiren, take care of this."

She didn't even have enough time to draw a breath as Kiriak charged at her, his supernatural speed making it almost impossible to predict his blows as he moved in flashes. Suddenly, she felt his fists connected at her sides and back, peppering her with hits that knocked the air out of her. Aria strained her eyes to see that Suiren had yet to move, she just observed languidly as Aria felt her ribs beginning to bruise.

Dumbly, she attempted to bat away his blink-of-an-eye hits with her own hands and arms, but she was always just a second too slow. An agonizing rippling of pain hit her as a particularly vicious punch landed in her stomach, sending her backwards. The back of her head connected with the wooden seat, and a dizzying array of stars danced across her vision as she let loose a pathetic groan.

Suiren decided to jump in then, and Aria's hope left her when she observed that Suiren was now moving just as fast as Kiriak, sending alternations of kicks and punches at her. Seeing the heel of Suiren's boot come crashing towards her head, Aria ducked at the last possible moment and rolled into a somersault, managing to get about three feet away. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw that Suiren had broken through the entire seat in one clean swipe. However, her foot was now stuck in the fallen chunks of wood, and she struggled with it for a few seconds.

Aria was aching all over, and she coughed pathetically, some blood getting on her chin. Completely forgetting Kiriak, she closed her eyes and began to internally heal herself, a light blue encompassing her whole body. Yet as soon as she had almost finished, she felt a heavy foot connect with her mid-spine, making her arch her back and howl in pain. Kiriak sneered down at her, as he grabbed her hair and drew her head back even more horrendously. Aria's eyes began to water and she attempted to send some of her soothing power into Kiriak, but concentration was hard to maintain as the agony intensified.

When she heard Suiren pull her foot free, and Kiriak's laughter, she knew that she had to move or be done for. Her suspicions were confirmed when she felt cold steel pressed against her temple.

Time seemed to freeze.

She could hear Kiriak mutter some sadistic goodbye, the aching cries of the passengers that had already been shot, and the sniff of disdain coming from Agatha. The hammer on the gun cocked back, the sound echoed and hollowed. And Aria knew that this was not how she wanted it to end.

Quickly, she jerked her head down, despite the grinding ache that assaulted her scalp as a few of her hairs ripped out, and brought her leg up as far as she could, managing to kick the gun out of Kiriak's hand. Mentally, she thanked all those years of gymnastics from when she was younger.

"Shit!" Kiriak proclaimed, startled by the sudden action as his prized firearm skittered across the cab, under a seat.

Suiren just sighed, as if this entire situation was just too taxing, and brought her own leg up to kick Aria in the side. Aria, using reflexes fueled by adrenaline, grabbed her ankle, and light blue pulsed from her hands. Suiren whimpered as the healing powers of purification began to burn her, and quickly withdrew her foot.

Kiriak wasted no time, however, and using the grip he had on Aria's hair, he launched her across the room in the opposite direction of the gun. Aria gave out a sharp cry as she slid on her side, hitting the metal legs of the seats with a painful velocity.

Immediately, she began the process of her regeneration, gritting her teeth, and knowing the healing capabilities that she had borrowed were steadily growing weaker. She blinked, and that was all the time it took for Kiriak to appear right in front of her, his hand enclosing around her throat just as he had done to Chuck earlier. As if she weighed nothing but air, the bald man from hell lifted her up and shoved her against the wall. Aria reared back her fist and punched him hardly in the face, and glee filled her when she heard something shatter.

The grip around her throat tightened, and she was finding it hard to breath, but she looked to see the damage she had caused anyway, and was disappointed to find that she had only managed to break one lens of his sunglasses. A solitary vermillion eye glared back at her, and she could feel the hatred flowing through him as if she were an empath.

Black fuzz was beginning to creep up in her vision, and in a last pathetic attempt to save herself, she charged her hands with her power and placed them over Kiriak's forearms. The clothing sizzled and smoke began to rise from his skin as it blistered, but there was a deranged look in Kiriak's eyes, and she realized that nothing short of severing his arms would save her now.

Her amber eyes drifted to Suiren, who was watching the struggling goddess warily, seeming almost afraid of her and her burning hands. Aria began to flail then as she felt the life fading from her, her legs kicking weakly.

Agatha was eyeing her with intensity, as were the other members of the group sent by Hades. The passengers' hate-filled glares seemed to evaporate and they watched her with something akin to pity and graciousness. Aria coughed slightly and hoped that the guardians would let them leave after she was dead.

Blackness had overcome her, and her head desperately wanted to loll to the side, but Kiriak's hands around her neck kept her propped up. She thought of Tessa, Imy, Riley, and most importantly Jimena then. She wondered how they would ever free their souls if no one but herself knew where they were. She bitterly pondered about how she had let them all down. She had let herself down, really.

She exhaled then, and opened her eyes for one last time to stare at the night sky outside of the train's window. Sure enough, a full moon shined in the night, its milky light illuminating the darkness like the light in a storm. Aria felt rather stupid for never admiring its beauty before.

"Any last words, bitch?" Kiriak swore, his teeth still bared like a dog's.

Aria just smiled, "I've learned a lot." Was all she stated.

Kiriak stared at her in confusion for a moment, and opened his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted when a loud noise reverberated throughout the otherwise silent moments of Aria's death.

Bang!

Aria's conscious lingered long enough to be confused as Kiriak's grip faltered and went limp around her neck as he sagged down on top of her. Aria, having no strength left to hold him up, sunk to the floor, landing on her butt with the Russian on top. She quickly began to cough and gag as air filled her lungs, and she rubbed her throat tenderly.

When her wits and oxygen returned to her, she realized that something warm and sticky had begun to coat her front, and with horror she quickly pushed Kiriak off of her. When she lifted her hands to eye-level, she gaped in disgust when she discovered that they were painted red. Her stare trailed numbly to Kiriak, who, now that he was laying facedown, obviously had a neat, circular hole through his back.

She stood up awkwardly and looked across the cab of the train, where there stood Chuck, holding a shaking, smoking gun in his hands.

Everyone seemed far too shocked to react as he whispered quietly, "You okay?"

Aria replied, in the same tone, "I guess."

"That's good, because I'm sure as fuck not."

Then the screams began.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

And thus, Aria finally 'gets it.'

Do you guys think I should move the rating up to 'M'? I'd rather not, but I've already had my account frozen four times by ff staff so I don't want to take any chances, what do you think?

Man, I didn't want to kill Kiriak, but it was either him or Aria…shucks, I love(d) 'em both! I hate it when this happens!

_Next Up: _Aria finds a new ally in Chuck, and perhaps a little something more? But will two against the remaining guardians of Hades be enough? Lives are on the line, as well as the futures of the Daughters of the Moon!


	9. Penance, Part One

_Night's Children: Cetera Desunt_

_**AN: **_I noticed that the chapters have gotten rather 'heavy' in content, so this one's going to be a bit on the lighter side .

I just read Book Three of SOTD (Yes, I am behind) but OMG! That was quite a load of madness for poor Nymmie. It made me have to rethink/plan the next book for NC, as it is Imy centric, so that I could match up canon with this series as closely as possible. As I've said before, this series does not follow the actual storyline of DOTM after book eleven (kind of obvious, as Tianna's still alive), but I will try as hard as I can to get the two to coincide.

**Chapter Eight: Penance, Part One**

"KIRIAK!" Screamed Suiren, as she shoved Aria out of her way and cradled her fallen comrade's head in her lap, her small hands trailing to his pulse and falling limply to the ground when she discovered its absence.

Rena was next, as her tiny buckled shoes clomped across the floor, she began to poke him, and when she was not greeted by the tell-tall growl, her round green eyes commenced to fill with tears. Loki stood to the side, straightening the collar of his dress shirt, relief flooding his features, which Aria attributed to the orange man's uneasy partnership with the Russian.

Out of the entire group, only Agatha seemed to remain unmoved, as her violet eyes landed on Chuck, "You've murdered one of our own," Was all she said flatly, "You and the girl will not escape punishment."

Chuck shifted his grip on the gun, as if he were not quite sure what to do with it, and muttered, "Okay." Not looking at all regretful.

Aria quickly snapped out of her haze and darted to Chuck's side, knowing that she was far too close to the grieving members of the team of once seven, now five. "Thank you," She whispered.

His shot her a side-glance, "I don't really know how to use this," He whispered quietly, "And I don't want to shoot the old broad or the little creepy kid." His eyes narrowed as he gestured to the corpse of the man who had attempted to strangle him earlier, "But that sick bastard had it coming."

Amber eyes trailed to the passengers and she sighed, knowing what she had to do. Even so, she was reluctant to leave Chuck standing on his own against the supernatural opponents, "Chuck," She whispered, "I need to heal the passengers."

He snorted, "You have magical band-aids or something?"

Aria groaned at her own stupidity as she realized that Chuck had been unconscious for the duration of the events that had occurred moments ago, "Please, I can do it." She stated with conviction.

Chuck looked at her, and Aria felt herself blushing a bit despite of the circumstances as she once again remarked inwardly on the fact that he was incredibly handsome, "What do you want me to do?" He asked, seemingly oblivious.

Aria cleared her throat, "Just make sure no one kills me."

The tinniest of smirks graced his features, "No promises, but I'll do my best."

Aria nodded and carefully approached the passengers, all of them still staring at the dead body of Kiriak with mixtures of appreciation and trepidation.

"Hey, old bat," She heard Chuck say, his gun aimed at Agatha's head, "Make sure none of your cronies move or I'll fire a bullet into your skull," The mirth in his eyes made Aria want to punch him in the face, especially when he said, "That sounded cool," To himself happily.

Agatha eyed him with obvious disgust as she carefully fingered the four tarot cards that bore the resemblances to Selene's daughters as well as their souls. "She can heal them," Agatha spat, "Those fools mean nothing to us, but then we will kill both of you."

Chuck blinked slowly, before muttering, "That hardly seems fair…"

Aria knelt down next to Lilian, and immediately deducted that she wasn't lying when she had proclaimed herself as Tessa's cousin. While she was far more heavily made-up, there was a certain facial similarity between the two, "I'm going to help you." Aria whispered in her most helpful tone.

Lilian's only response was a pathetic whimpering as her hands clenched against the wound in her thigh. Gently, Aria pried them away, and the blue light circled through her hands once again as she closed her eyes. Her fingers seemed to act of their own accord as she carefully located and extracted the bullet in her leg before painlessly knotting back the torn muscles and shattered bone. A dull ache began to throb in her leg when she finished, but almost instantaneously it disappeared. Aria back away slowly, admiring her handiwork as all that remained was the tinniest pale scar. Somewhere in the background, she heard Chuck give a, "Holy shit!" declaration at the exercise of her gift, but Aria just ignored him and focused on her patient.

Lilian stared at the one agonizing wound, her blue eyes darting from her thigh to Aria, "Thank you," She finally whispered. Aria gave the tinniest of smiles before going to the next victim, Otis.

Otis was far more hesitant in accepting her help, as was his wife, "Get away from him!" Miranda declared, as Otis pathetically attempted to drag himself away from her. "You freaks have done enough damage!"

At the word 'freaks', Aria's head snapped back as if she had been slapped, but she quickly recovered, "Please," She whispered, "He needs my help."

"It's your fault he's hurt!" Miranda proclaimed, tears rolling down from her brown eyes.

Aria bit her lower lip as she began to restrain from crying herself, for she knew Miranda's words were one hundred percent accurate, "Yes, it is." She muttered, grasping Miranda's hand gently in her own. The woman flinched at the contact, but made no move to take her hand back, "I've been screwing up a lot lately," She continued, gesturing towards Agatha and her newest four favorite cards, "Because of me, three of my…teammates and my mentor are at her mercy." Tears leaked out anyway, "I'm trying to…make amends." She sighed, "Please, let me save him."

Miranda looked at the teenager before her warily, then turned to her husband. His face was ashen and his fingers clenched around his gut desperately as he grunted in pain. The shot to his kneecap had let out a lot of blood, and it was easy to see the considerable mess he was in. Cautiously, Miranda nodded and stepped to the side, allowing Aria to see to the man.

She gave a genuine smile, "Thank you."

The periwinkle collected around her palms once again as she pressed her hand to the wound in his gut first, slowly drawing out the bullet, and scooping it out harmlessly and depositing it carefully on the ground. After that, she began to surgically reform the shot out sections of his small intestine, and to halt all of the internal bleeding. After she was satisfied with the healing, she turned her attention to the middle-aged man's shot out kneecap. Easily a more delicate structure to rebuild, Aria turned her attention to his patellar region. Carefully, she connected the tissues and ligaments, before fixing the shattered bones of his upper tibia. Once she had finished, Otis was out cold, and a fierce cramp had collected within her own stomach, as well as a faint pain in her own knee.

Miranda stood to the side, her hands clasped together over her mouth before she rushed over to her husband, relieved tears and kisses being spread all over him.

"Tick tock healer," Came Agatha, sounding profoundly annoyed.

Aria nodded and slightly hobbled over to Thomas, due to the pain in her knee. His initial grunting and moaning seemed to have died out, and he lay there limply, his eyes slightly dazed and drooped. Asking silent permission, Aria hesitated, but proceeded when the old man gave her the barest of nods. Aria repeated the process she had undergone with Otis, and soon the old man was laying there contently, a hand still over his stomach.

"You're like her," Thomas muttered weakly, his voice hoarse.

Aria ignored the increasing pain in her abdomen as she stared at him, "Like who?"

The old man gave a small smirk, making him appear almost boyish again, "My sister, she can't heal like you, but she had the same…light," His breaths were wheezy, but he seemed intent to tell her his message.

"Who is she?" Aria asked gently, a part of her genuinely wanting to know.

His smirk faded, "Her name was Zoe Reese, she's passed on now."

The young healer spoke apologetically, "I'm sorry."

The man nodded slightly before he began to sleep, worn out from the loss of blood combined with the stress of the evening.

"Are you ready to begin now?" Agatha spat, the other three conscious guardians glaring at her, tensing and prepared to jump in at any moment.

Aria sighed, as she stared at her bloodstained hands before nodding slowly, "Two conditions."

Agatha laughed, "I don't allow conditions."

Aria shook her head, "Too bad. Condition one, you let all of these people off of the train."

The old woman looked at the four innocent bystanders, "Accepted," She calmly drawled, "They'll only get in the way."

Aria lifted up two fingers, "Two, you release the souls of the other Daughters from your cards, I was the only one who destroyed Mammon."

"No," Her words were cold and blunt, "These are my collectors' items," She declared cruelly, lifting up the High Priestess card, "I'm finding the illustrations quite to my liking."

Chuck seemed to squint at the card for a moment in confusion, before he dazedly shook his head and tightened his grip on the gun.

Agatha lifted the Judgment card up once again, "This will be your container," She turned and seemed to evaluate Chuck before withdrawing another card from the deck, "This one's yours."

"The Fool!" Chuck scoffed, seemingly offended, before turning towards Aria, "What a spiteful old witch." Aria gave a wane smile at this, while Agatha's eyes narrowed and she hissed between her clenched teeth.

"Enough wasting time!" The said 'old witch' cried, as she gave the barest of nods to Suiren, who stood up hesitantly from Kiriak's corpse, "Suiren, go stop the train."

The older girl gave another, almost sorrowful, look at the dead Kiriak before swerving on her heel and calmly leaving the group to head towards the drivers' car.

Agatha gave a small tsk, "Poor little Suiren," She commented in a tone that sounded far from sympathetic, "She can't feel any emotions, you see. So Kiriak's death is somewhat hard to process."

Loki snorted and leaned against the wall, "It was going to happen sooner or later," He replied without attachment. He seemed to hold a calculating interest air about him, even though it was carefully concealed.

Aria couldn't feel the urge to comment, but she was also confused by the guilt of the gunman's death. She tried to reassure herself with the fact that Kiriak had shot mercilessly at the passengers, and had almost suffocated herself and Chuck, more than likely would have killed everyone without restraint. She looked towards her newest partner, and saw that his eyes were concentrated harshly on Agatha, resolve and determination shining through. In a way, he almost reminded her of Jimena at that moment.

That is, until he broke that stupid smile of his. "This is such an adrenaline high!" He declared happily.

Aria's eyes widened remarkably. "We're about to battle warriors sent from **the Underworld** and you think it's _fun!_"

Chuck shrugged, "Not as fun as surfing."

"You're an idiot!" She declared, hitting him on the arm reflexively. He winced, slightly.

"What was that for?"

"Incompetent children," Agatha mused scathingly, "When you behave so foolishly I hardly can see how Mammon and Kiriak met their end." She sneered, "They deserve their places if they allow themselves to be outdone by two runny-nose brats. You have no dignity, to be making such light of these instances." Her eyes narrowed, "You ought to be ashamed, little Healer."

Her icy tone dried up all of the frivolous mood Aria had attained. She exhaled slowly as the gravity of the situation fell upon her yet again. This was not a game, it would be all too easy for someone else to die, the passengers had come close enough as it was, and in a roundabout sense Aria was responsible for the deaths of two…people. She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. It didn't matter how insane or sadistic the two were, she had still caused harm to fall upon human beings, even inadvertently on innocents. This went against everything she believed in on a moral standpoint, as well as the credo of Selene for her Daughters. She was tainted, it didn't matter how many 'bad guys' she defeated, or how many people she saved with her powers, nothing could undo the damage that had been committed two nights ago, and just now.

"Jimena," Chuck said, using the pseudonym that Aria had given the robbers earlier, "Don't let the bat distract you."

Aria turned to look at him in a confused manner.

"She's messing with your mind, making you feel guilty," Chuck elaborated, gesturing to the newly healed passengers, "_She's _the one that ordered the big guy to shoot them, not you."

Aria blinked rapidly, trying to see Chuck's view, "But, I still killed two people." She whispered, "It's against what I'm supposed to stand for."

"_I _shot Kiriak, don't take my actions as a mark against you," His reddish-brown eyes narrowed, "Besides _chica, _you think Kiriak had any reservations about killing you?" His tone picked up an intensity that reminded her of a certain Magna Mater, "You think that guy would have felt _guilty_ for strangling you to death?" The surfer snorted, "I didn't know this Mammon guy these losers won't shut up about, but I'm guessing he's like the rest of his happy little group." Chuck stared down the leader, whose anger was practically radiating off of her, and drew out his next words. "Ruthless, selfish, and flat-out disgusting."

Rena's lower lip began to quiver, "You're mean!" She cried.

"I'm honest," Chuck countered.

Aria ignored the exchange between the pint-sized guardian and Chuck, as her mind replayed the fight at the bank. The Follower she had destroyed, Mammon, had all intentions of killing three of her companions, and would have if she had not destroyed him first. Whereas she had a justified cause to fight the spy, saving her teammates, the man had acted on a whim, with no suitable motive. He had injured Riley and Imy for no purpose, but she had killed him to protect those she…somewhat cared for.

While her actions were not what Selene intended, they were necessary.

Shooting Kiriak had been necessary.

Shooting passengers had not.

As if to conclude her thoughts, the train came to an abrupt halt, making everyone wobble slightly on their feet. Chuck turned his attention back to the goddess, "What's it going to be?" He licked his lips nervously, "It's us or them, and personally, I'd like to think of ourselves as the good guys."

"Good guys who commit murder," Came Loki caustically.

Aria looked at her opponents, and then back to her partner. Slowly, she nodded her head, "I'm not going to leave," She declared softly, turning to look at Chuck, "We need to get those cards back."

"You got it," He replied easily.

Loki sauntered over to the train's door, and carelessly kicked it open, "Everyone without supernatural powers given to them by a Greek deity get the hell out." He said flatly, obviously annoyed. Chuck smirked at his comment before Loki pointed at him, "Except for the dirty bum with a gun."

"I'm not dirty!" He protested.

Aria stared at him, wondering if the boy had some sort of split personality. One moment, he was hardcore and intense, the next, feeling offended by remarks about his personal hygiene. It baffled her completely.

Her attention shifted as she saw the passengers exiting the train ride from hell, and a small breath of relief escaped her. Lilian was the first to get off, sprinting to the side and jumping off eagerly, completely forgetting her purse on the bench. Otis and Miranda were next, the husband keeping a protective grip around his wife's shoulders and constantly checking behind him, more than likely awaiting another gunshot wound. The last one to exit, was Thomas, who sluggishly stood up and began to follow the others' example. Before he left, he turned and gave Aria a brief smile of gratitude, which she attempted to return.

Agatha waited for a few moments, until she was convinced that all of the passengers had vacated the premises. She turned to Loki, "Dump him," She commanded cruelly, tilting her head to indicate Kiriak's corpse.

Loki said nothing as he walked over and gripped the dead man by the underarms, dragging him to the door and gracelessly shoving him out onto the ground. Rena gave a tiny wave goodbye as he toppled down the train's side stairway.

"Heartless," Aria muttered under her breath, but she went ignored.

"Now him," Agatha declared, pointing at Damien.

Loki's eyes widened a fraction, "But he's alive." He protested meekly.

"He was a failure. Leave him here until he finds a way to prove himself," Her words were clipped, cold.

"But-!" Rena stared, but was silenced immediately by the freezing stare she received.

The process underwent with Kiriak was repeated with the unconscious Damien, albeit much more gently. The group, excluding Agatha who was disinterested, and Chuck, whose sole attention was on Agatha, watched the knocked out boy topple down the hill side, landing about two feet away from Kiriak. There was a few pregnant pauses, before it began.

It was Rena, who struck first. Quickly dropping her stuffed rabbit, her hands clutched around her pistol as she shot at Aria. Aria's instinct saved her, as she dove to the floor at the precise moment. Fortunately for her, Rena had terrible control of the gun, the backfire of the shot too much for her young, weak arms as she shot backwards and landed on her butt. Aria took this moment to scramble up and reach for her gun, but her hand was knocked away by Loki, whose long, pale fingers crushed her hand tightly. She winced as she heard the distinct popping sounds followed by pure agony, knowing his grip was breaking the bones in her fingers.

"Naughty, naughty," He observed.

Across from her, Chuck was having his own problems as he attempted to dodge a series of vicious kicks and punches from the newly arrived Suiren. He ducked in time to dodge the fist aimed for his face, but not fast enough to avoid the kick to his side. Suiren's gray-blue eyes were flat and uninterested, acting like a programmed machine as she began to pummel Chuck with what was left of Kiriak's copied speed. He continued to swerve and evade as best as he could, but he was given no window of opportunity to go on the offensive.

Suiren's assault seemed never ceasing, so Chuck took the opportunity to observe the patterns of her hits and punches, dropping his defense slightly as his eyes calculated her movements. When there was a second's hesitation, Chuck blindly aimed his gun and fired off a round. He was awarded with a gasp of surprise, and a halt of the onslaught. Slowly, he looked at Suiren, who was staring at her foot, a clean, round hole present at the top of her red boots.

Aria immediately squeezed her eyes shut at the sound of the gun being shot, but didn't waste the distraction it caused for Loki. Acting as quickly as she could, she ignited the healing power to both of her palms. While one mended the broken bones of her hands, the other shot up and plunged onto Loki's abdomen.

Loki's eyes widened at the sensation, and obvious confusion fell over him, "What…what is this?" He questioned, staring at spot where Aria was placing her burning hand over. His face screwed up in pain, before he let loose the most primal howl Aria had ever heard. "IT HURTS!" He cried, shoving her away from him before he collapsed on the floor, swearing and spastically flailing.

"You, you hurt Loki," Rena's eyes widened, "No one's ever hurt Loki! Never ever!"

Briefly, Aria muddily remembered the orange-haired man remarking about being invulnerable to physical harm, and the barest of smiles appeared on her face when she realized that the damage she was causing was purely spiritual. She was cleansing the evil out of their souls, not their bodies.

Her victory did not last long, however, as Rena latched onto her back and began pulling her hair, biting and clawing at everything available, "No one hurts Mr. Loki!" She announced, as Aria pathetically tried to pry the little demon girl off of her.

Chuck also faced problems as he was now dealing with an adrenaline-fueled Suiren, the girl's supernatural speed seemed to have faded away, but even still, she was far faster than Chuck could ever hope to be. He fired off more rounds, hoping that he hit something, anything…besides Aria. Joy filled him when a slug caught Suiren in the thigh, and she slumped the ground, groaning. Like Aria, his victory did not last long as he felt something heavy clock him in the back of the head, and stars danced across his eyes. Confused, he turned around to see Agatha standing over him victoriously, her cane in hand.

"Aria," He croaked, his head still spinning, "A little help here?"

Aria turned sharply, noticing Chuck's rather serious predicament. Her eyes glanced behind her to the little girl who was currently attacking her back without mercy. She exhaled and muttered a, "Sorry," to Rena before grabbing the girl around the collar of her dress and propelling her off. She wasn't able to toss her with the strength of one hand, so Rena simply landed against the ground with an audible 'thud'.

Aria caught her breath before igniting her hands with the power once again. They flared up and she charged quickly towards Agatha. The old woman swerved out of the way of Aria's purifying hands, and smirked at the girl, "Not fast enough." She purred.

"Chuck!" Aria called.

"Yeah, yeah," He muttered as he sluggishly pulled himself off of the floor, the stars slowly disappearing from his view, "What?" He groaned.

Aria charged again at Agatha, who was seemingly annoyed with the girl. The woman couldn't fight physically, Aria understood that, but she wanted to get the upper hand before she was granted a supernatural power that she deemed 'necessary'. The goddess's eyes drifted to the hip pack on the woman's waist, the one that contained those stupid tarot cards of hers. Her eyes narrowed in concentration, knowing that would be her goal.

But it wasn't her only goal. She knew right now it appeared as if her and Chuck were ahead in this battle against the guardians of hell, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Their opponents had simply underestimated them, and that would change with the drop of a hat. She glanced at Chuck, who was rocking slightly on his feet, and she knew that he couldn't continue fighting much longer. Aria was also running low, the extra strength borrowed from whoever had answered her prayer was long gone. Quickly, a plan formulated in her mind.

"Chuck, go start the train!" She cried.

Chuck looked at her as if she were a few sticks sort of a bundle, "Why?" He asked.

Aria grit her teeth, "Just do it!" She spat in irritation as she sent more punches towards Agatha, who had begun to slow down a bit.

The surfer looked between Aria and the other minions of Hades, "Are you sure? I don't want to leave you alone." He stated.

"GO!" She bellowed, annoyed beyond belief that he wouldn't just take her word and leave.

He held up his hands in protest, "Alright, alright." He stated, swerving on his heel and sprinting as fast as he could towards the head of the train.

"Rena! Loki! Go after him!" Agatha declared while simultaneously hitting Aria's hands with her wooden cane.

Rena automatically took after him, but Loki was much slower. Pure hatred surrounded him, and he directed this towards the healer. Aria swallowed dryly as she realized how badly he wanted revenge. He was panting, and still in obvious agony. "I'll get you." He hissed.

"GET THE BOY!" Agatha screeched, something out of her character.

Loki flinched slightly, but slowly scrambled up to his feet, sending one last glare towards Aria before following the little girl. Aria shook her head slowly and turned towards the old woman, "Just you and me," She whispered, somewhat shaky.

Agatha's lip twitched slightly, "You won't find me as easy to defeat as Kiriak or Mammon."

Aria slowly shook her head, "I'm not trying to beat you."

Agatha sent her a curious look, prompting for her to give an explanation, but none was delivered as Aria shot out rapidly, her fists a flurry of light blue. Agatha simply snorted, and started to twirl her cane in a windmill fashion, blocking most of them.

"So it begins," She croaked, "I hope you enjoyed your little visit on Earth, little Goddess, because I'll be the one returning you to Tartarus."

OoO

Chuck heaved as he darted straight forward through the train cars' various walkways, dodging the randomly strewed luggage all of the floor. His sides were aching, as was his head, from the beat down he had received, but his motions became mechanical. The pain was ignored, and he pushed himself to go as fast as humanly possible.

"No fear, no fear, no fear," He repeated to himself between pants, his father's favorite piece of zen drifting through him and giving a little boost in his step.

It wasn't until he heard footsteps and doors slamming open behind him that he realized he was being tailed. Chuck arched his head back slightly, to see the cabbage patch kid running after him, her eyes determined. He exhaled a breath of relief, knowing that if they only sent the little girl after him, all he had to be worried about was being annoyed to death…

But then, Loki chose that moment to run up behind Rena, and Chuck swore.

He looked pissed.

That was all the motivation Chuck needed to start running faster.

His heart thudded in his chest painfully as he rocketed forwards, slamming the doors behind him as he ran. Inwardly, he knew that a closed door would only be a miniscule obstacle for the two pursuing him, and his assumptions were confirmed when he door slammed open behind him.

His sepia eyes darted towards the end of the train, exhaling in relief when he saw the heavy looking door that read 'Employees Only'. It was cracked open slightly, revealing several different buttons and contraptions. The footsteps and breathing behind him were becoming louder, so Chuck dove into the room as quickly as he could, slamming and dead bolting the door behind him.

He leaned against the doorframe and attempted to catch his breath. On the other side, he could hear Loki swearing and Rena crying, but he knew for the moment he was safe. The door appeared to be some sort of reinforced metal, so he had no worries about shots being fired through the doorway.

His gaze drifted up to look at the control button, and his eyes widened when he saw all of the different switches, lights, and odd contraptions. He groaned and flopped down on the floor.

"How the hell do you start a train?"

OoO

There was a satisfying crunch when Aria finally managed to land a hit on the crone, her chunky sandal connected with the underside of Agatha's chin, and her head snapped back. She blinked for a few moments, obviously in a daze. And Aria knew that this was the moment she needed.

Quickly, her hands shot out and latched onto the pack Agatha held at her hip, and quickly she ripped it off. Exhaling happily, she unzipped the bag and pulled out all the cards, knowing that Agatha would not be unfocused long enough to let her sort through them.

And she was right, the second she had deposited the cards in the pockets of her capris, she felt the heavy cane crash into her ribs. She struggled to maintain her balance, but she eventually fell. She winced, but exhaled happily as her healing powers immediately absorbed the damage.

"Give me those back, little girl, or are you a thief as well as a murderer?" Agatha spoke condescendingly.

Aria shook her head, "No way hag."

Agatha's lip twitched and she turned to her remaining subordinate, Suiren. The girl was currently propped up against the wall, her head lolled to the side and fixed absently on the blood flowing from her leg and foot. "Suiren! Get up and handle this mess!" She barked.

Suiren's gray stare darted up to her leader, but slowly, she shook her head. "No." Her voice was a whisper.

Agatha's eyebrows shot up to her hairline, "You dare defy me?"

Suiren nodded, and Aria noticed that it wasn't her blood she was staring at, but rather the stain Kiriak had left behind. Her mind quickly put two and two together.

So, apparently, did Agatha's, "Don't be so small-minded," She chided, "Kiriak died for a greater cause, now get up and finish the work he started."

Suiren's hands began to shake, and she stared at Agatha another time, "I'm tired," She whispered, before her eyes rolled up into her head and she passed out from blood loss.

"Worthless!" Agatha cried, stomping her foot against the floor and reminding Aria instantly of a two-year-old.

"Leave her alone," Aria whispered, pity emanating from her, despite the fact that both Suiren and Kiriak had been her enemies.

Agatha turned her wrath on the Daughter upon hearing her voice, "This is all your fault!" She proclaimed.

Aria's eyes narrowed, "You send your henchmen to kill me and the other Daughters of the Moon and this is _my _fault!"

Then, it became obvious that Agatha's composure flew out the window, as all Aria felt was a peppering of blows from the wooden cane. She coughed and wheezed from the pain, but found herself unable the move as the hail of pain came. She settled for clenching her hand around the deck of cards from within her pocket and gritting her teeth.

"Hurry up and start the damn train Chuck," Aria swore inwardly.

OoO

Sweat was dripping from his brow as Chuck began to absently flip and press random things on the train's control panel, the loud and angry noises coming from the other side of the door adding incredible pressure. "Shit!" He muttered, his hands moving in a flurry as he pressed everything. "Start you goddamn thing!"

"OPEN THE DOOR OR I'LL GUT YOU!" Growled Loki from the other side.

"YEAH!" Contributed Rena.

Chuck rolled his eyes, "They need to work on their incentives."

It had been about ten minutes of attempting to start the train, and his thoughts flew back to Aria, wondering how she was holding out against the bag of bones and the shot girl. Worry flitted through him, she seemed like a cool enough chick, he didn't want her to die. He shook his head, and he continued his efforts at a higher speed.

It wasn't until he saw the obscure little blue button in the corner of the console that he felt his jaw drop. It was labeled 'START'. He groaned, "You've got to be shitting me." He muttered, running a hand through his hair. He gingerly pressed the button in, and the engines soon roared to life. He face-palmed himself, "I'm _such _an idiot, Aria's going to kill me."

The thundering on the opposite side of the door drew his attention back, "Shit, Aria!" His eyes widened with worry. Quickly, he pried open the metal door, and was met with a livid pair of hell guardians.

Chuck settled for a little wave, "Hey," He proclaimed, "I'd love to fight, but I've got to rescue a carnival freak."

Loki's fist came rocketing towards him, but his body moved on autopilot, nimbly dodging the blow as well as the kick Rena had sent to his shins. He shook his head, wondering how he could almost see the moves before they landed. But that thought was discarded as soon as Loki presented an opening. Dodging quickly, he made his way past the orange-haired assailant and started running back towards the car Aria and the hag were in.

He turned around and winked, "Later!" He stated, sprinting as fast as he could, Loki and Rena not too far behind him.

OoO

Aria felt a flutter in her heart when she noticed that the train was beginning to move forward, "Thank God," She whispered under her breath, the pain from Agatha's blows feeling less sharp.

"What is the meaning of this?" Agatha demanded as she stopped her onslaught to look at the flickering scenery outside of the train's windows.

Aria smirked and took her momentary distraction to swing her legs around, hitting Agatha in the back of the knees. She fell hard to the ground, and Aria managed to pick herself up, bruises automatically healing. She ran her fingers over the cards and placed one glowing blue hand around Agatha's neck, "How do I put them back?" She queried fiercely, her amber eyes hard.

Agatha threw her head back and laughed, a clear, malicious sound. "Why would I tell you?" She barked.

Aria's blue healing energy began to encompass Agatha's throat, "I'll kill you." She grit, even though she could feel her hesitance bubbling.

Agatha's laughter continued, "You can't kill me." She chided, "I have powers of necessity, the minute you attempt to, I'll develop some sort of shield."

The goddess's eyebrows furrowed as she struggled to determine if the old woman's words were a bluff or not.

"ARIA I HOPE YOU HAVE A PLAN!" She heard Chuck before she saw him, as he yelled and then crashed through the compartment door. He looked dazed for a moment when he saw the teenager's hand strangling to older woman. "What's going on?" He asked sheepishly.

Aria shook her head clear of all the violent thoughts she had for Agatha, before turning, "Open the side door." She instructed.

Chuck's eyes widened, "You mean the one that leads to the outside?"

Aria nodded.

A goofy grin crept onto the surfer's face, "We're going to jump off, aren't we?"

Another nod.

"Kick ass!"

She felt the hiss of irritation leave her lips, but returned her attention back to the leader, "I'll figure it out on my own," She muttered, releasing the choke hold. She could hear Loki and Rena thundering down the halls, only a second or two away. She sprinted over towards Chuck, who had pried open the door.

The wind whipped around them fiercely, but they were fortunate in the fact that the train had yet to reach its maximum speed. Aria stood there for a moment, a tremor of fear filling through her as she watched the ground move as a blur. Suddenly, she felt a warm hand envelop hers. She turned her head to meet Chuck's gaze.

"Ready?" He asked, his grin growing.

Aria shook her head, "You're insane."

He gestured his head backwards, towards the compartment where Agatha was slowly getting back to her feet, "They're worse."

She dipped her head in thought, "Good point." She squeezed his hand, "Let's do this."

"Okay, on the count of three-" Chuck started, but was cut off as Loki kicked open the door, "On second thought, let's just jump?"

Aria nodded, and held her breath as she pushed her feet off of the platform, dragging Chuck with her.

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Am I hinting at a Suiren x Kiriak ship? You're damn right I am!

This chapter was supposed to have some Aria/Chuck action, but it turned out longer than I thought it would, so next chap, I promise!

Anyways, I'm not going to lie, I needed a little break from this story. On the plus side though, I laid out the groundwork for the next book, as well as two side stories…so uh, that's a compromise? Right? No? Well, uh, it's about twice longer than usual…yep…:nym backs away slowly:

_Next Up: _Chuck and Aria are on the run, but can they escape? Also, not-so-secret secrets are revealed! Plus, is it hot in here or is it just Chuck? (Chuck: It's me alright!) And a break from the constant fight scenes! Hooray!

Til next time!

!nym!


	10. Lust

_Night's Children: Cetera Desunt_

**AN: **Sorry this chapter was so late, but I was prodded (I.e. forced) into doing NaNoWriMo with my friend. So that basically equaled no writing for a month. On the plus side, I'll have an original fic done! A woo haw! Anyways…here's Chapter Nine! Please review!

Also, a little side story between books 2 and 3 called _De Rerum Natura _(The Nature of Things) is finished! It's just focusing on Zahi and Art after the…events of book 2, and it's not important to read for the story line, but take a peak if you like those two!

(Really) Short chapter, sorry! It took a long time to write, because whenever I do romance or 'tense' scenes, I get embarrassed o.o

**Chapter Nine: Lust**

When they were launched from the train car, the impact when they hit was jarring. Immediately, Aria's hand slipped out of Chuck's as they began a violent somersaulting down the hillside that framed the tracks. Her breath was wheezing and harsh as she attempted to inhale, her neck rolling at uncomfortable angles and harsh rocks piercing her sides.

When her tumbling finally stopped, she gave a wheezing cough, blood coming out. Groaning as she rolled on her side, she pressed her hands on her abdomen and began to quickly heal the wounds she had accumulated. The process was slower this time, almost hesitant, and she knew that she was just about spent for the rest of the night. As soon as it was complete, she collapsed back down, her head facing skyward.

The stars were beautiful in the night sky, and the moon was glowing strongly. A sense of nostalgia came over her, and she sighed. Tonight, far too much had changed, and she knew now she could never look at the moon the same way she used to.

She heard a stifled moan of pain, and reality came crashing back on her, "Chuck!" She yelled, "Are you alright?"

There was a rustle of grass, and a muttered, "So…many…stupid…rocks."

Aria pushed herself up off of the grass and hurriedly tried to follow the source of Chuck's voice. Her eyes scanned the area and she felt her heart plummet slightly when she didn't see him, "Where are you?" She called, not really wanting to yell again as it could attract the attention of the others if they had decided to pursue them. Her foot landed on a twig and almost rolled off, but she ignored it and quickly caught herself.

"You're on my arm," Came a mumble a lot closer than she had expected it to be, and Aria looked down to see an incredibly annoyed surfer. Rapidly, she jumped off of his arm.

"I'm so sorry!" She apologized, kneeling down and placing a hand carefully on Chuck's chest, as she leaned his face closer to his. "Are you okay?"

"Pain, from stupid rocks." He breathed, tilting his head to show that his legs were at awkward angles, and Aria inwardly hissed when she saw a tiny sliver of bone peaking out of the skin on Chuck's shin.

"Shit," She muttered, her mind scanning through the minimal knowledge she had at her disposal from general health class. She deducted that the bone was Chuck's tibia, and if it was through the skin that meant it was a simple fracture. Or was it a green stick? Compressed? Compound? Something? She chewed her lower lip, "Hold still." She quietly commanded.

He gave her a thumbs up, "You got it."

Nimbly her hands settled over the bone, and gently as possible she realigned the bone, using the intuitive powers that came along with her healing to guide her movements. The familiar periwinkle color formed in her palms, and she pressed down gently, refusing the fractured bone site. Chuck gave a tiny hiss when she moved the bone, but other than that he gave no indication that he was in pain. After a quick inspection, Aria nodded to herself, before asking, "Anywhere else?"

"My stomach, and sides," He panted.

Gingerly, Aria shifted her hands' pressure from the leg to Chuck's abdomen, and her eyes widened fractionally when she felt the well-built muscles underneath her move slightly from the touch. Taking a deep breath and praying to the goddess that Chuck couldn't see the humiliating blush that was spreading over her cheeks like wildfire, Aria carefully closed her eyes. Upon a few seconds, the healing process began again, erasing the bruises that had formed.

"That feels nice," Chuck muttered absently, totally unaware of the effect his words were having on the poor little Daughter of the Moon as her cheeks went an even deeper shade of vermilion.

"Uh, I'm glad," She finally sputtered out, trying to avoid having a conniption, her hands inching slightly over his stomach to get to the other spots of damage.

Aria wasn't like most other girls at her age, she didn't get all flustered and starry eyed whenever a good looking guy came into view. She wasn't like Amanda, or Yvonne, or hell even Imy or Tessa, in the sole fact that she was remarkably cool and collected whenever someone made a pass at her or gave her compliments. Aria wasn't above appreciating the opposite sex, however, and she couldn't help but feel a tiny thrill of excitement when she noticed the space, or lack thereof, that were currently between her and Chuck.

She evaluated Chuck again, his mahogany hair was untamed and wild from the fall off the train, bits of grass stuck in it. His shirt had a tear, most likely due from the fighting between himself and Suiren, and his eyes were peacefully shut. Aria just sat there for a few extra moments, healing and observing.

She owed this handsome stranger her life, if he hadn't have shot Kiriak, she and the other Daughters of the Moon would have been goners. What was amazing her, more than anything else, was the fact that he seemed to be taking the bizarre occurrences of the night all in stride, even managing to joke and retain a good sense of humor. She slowly shook her head, there was a lot this guy was hiding from her, she was sure of that.

"Aria?" His voice, mellowed out now as he appeared to be resting, shook her from her musings.

"Yeah?" She asked, hating how her voice came out panicky and pitched.

"Um, my stomach doesn't hurt anymore."

Quick as lightening, her hands withdrew from his stomach, as she realized that she had run out of things to heal about a minute ago, "Um, well it's all, uh, internal." She stammered, trying to rid herself of the mortification.

Chuck leaned up on his elbows, his mouth cracked into a grin and his eyes twinkling with mischief, "Uh huh. Aria, it's obvious." He sighed, tossing his head back wistfully, "But I guess I can't fault you for wanting me, I'm practically irresistible."

Aria's jaw dropped open as anger replaced shame, "_Someone's _egotistical." She huffed, standing up and crossing her arms over her chest.

He laughed, standing up as well, "Chill, I was just joking." He paused, before his eyebrows wiggled, "But, you know, there was an awfully defensive tone in your voice-"

Her response, purely instinct, was to punch him harshly in the arm, "You're such a jerk!" She proclaimed.

Chuck winced, nursing his injury, "Man, you have a funny way of showing gratitude if you punch people after they save your life." He muttered flatly.

Aria's irate temper quickly flickered out, "Well," She mumbled sheepishly, "Don't be such a jerk then."

He rolled his eyes, "Apology accepted."

Silence reigned between the two, and they unknowingly began to stare at each other. The awkward moment seemed to stretch into infinity, before Aria started to say something, "Why-?"

"How-?" Chuck asked simultaneously.

Both turned away from each other, and he coughed uncomfortably into his hand.

"So-?"

"When-?"

Aria sighed, a tiny blush on her cheeks, "You go first."

Chuck scratched the back of his head, "Well, it's been kind of a weird night," He began, "And, uh, well….y'know?"

"Why am I able to heal people? Why are those others gifted with supernatural powers? Why did they want to kill me? Why are those cards so important?" Aria supplied.

"Something along those lines."

Aria exhaled slowly, and sat down, gesturing for Chuck to do the same. Reluctantly, he complied, stretching and leaning back. "You're going to think I'm absolutely insane-" She whispered, horrified.

"Actually, I already do." Chuck replied none too helpfully, "But I'm still hanging out with you."

She stared at him for a moment, trying to determine how to take that. She decided to take it as a compliment, "Well, ok then. So, I guess there's no way to flatly say this, so I'm just going to say it, I'm a goddess sent down by the Greek Goddess of the Moon, Selene, to protect the world against a hopeless evil incarnate named the Atrox."

Chuck slowly blinked, but made no move to interrupt, so she continued.

"It's kind of like a generational thing, every cycle there's four different Daughters of the Moon, each of us with a different power, and we have a mentor who guides us, our Magna Mater." She rambled on, "There's me, I can heal obviously, and then there's Tessa, who does this mental illusionary thing, the third is Imy who can teleport, and finally there's Riley who's an empath that can influence others' emotions as well." She inhaled, "Am I making sense so far?"

"Crystal," Chuck's eyes were looking slightly glazed over.

"So, our main purpose is to fight this evil demi-god named the Atrox and its Followers." She sighed, "The Atrox exists to steal the hope from mankind, as its jealous of the Gods' gift to humanity. It's the Daughters of the Moon's job to stop that from happening." She looked at him, and he was paying attention, even if his face was totally blank, "Anyways, a few nights ago, we were battling what we thought was a Follower who was trying to rob a bank. He wiped out Riley and Imy almost immediately, and Tessa passed out, so it was all up to me." Aria stared at her hands for a moment, "Remember that strange, burning thing I did to the Guardians?"

Chuck nodded slightly.

"Well, that Follower was the first one I did it to. I didn't really have a choice, seeing as it was either my survival or his." She licked her lips in thought, "Then the strange things started to happen."

"All of that's not strange?" Chuck cut in, but Aria ignored him.

"Tessa went comatose next, then my mentor, and after our confrontation with those Guardians, well, you know the rest." She trailed off.

Chuck cleared his throat, "So, let me get this straight." Aria nodded at him, signaling that he had her attention, "You think that those crazy people on the train were trying to avenge the supposed Follower that you destroyed? And that those tarot cards hold your friends inside of them?"

"Well, not exactly, their spirits."

"Uh huh."

"I know it sounds insane, but you have to believe me when I say it's the truth." Aria blurted, feeling frustrated as she knew what she had originally thought when she first heard the story told to her from Jimena.

Chuck shrugged, "Ok."

Aria's eyes widened, "Ok?! That's all you've got."

He shrugged again, "I've seen you heal, it actually makes a lot of sense."

"You're insane, aren't you?"

"Irrevocably."

She sighed, "My turn. Why did you shoot Kiriak and side with me?" She asked, genuine confusion shining in her eyes.

Chuck looked at her, and said with the straightest face imaginable, "You're hot."

If Aria had been eating or drinking anything at that moment, she was positive that she would have choked on it, "Excuse me?" She sputtered.

"Honestly, hot girl, or crazy trigger-happy Russian? I wonder which one any teenage guy would side with?" Chuck said sarcastically.

She gaped at him, "That's incredibly lame."

"Yeah, well, I ended up picking the right side, didn't I?" He smiled, his face lighting up handsomely and Aria felt her face heating again. It was silent yet again as the two just stared at each other, before he cleared his throat, "Truthfully, you just had this easy vibe about you," He stated calmly, and Aria noticed that her blush was being shared, "You seemed a little edgy, sure, but for the most part you just seemed scared." He ruffled the top of his hair, "And it's obvious from the way that you reacted when Kiriak started shooting, and how you helped all of those people, that you just screamed naivety."

Her eyebrows drew together, "You think I'm naïve?"

"It's not a bad thing in this case," Chuck said quickly and defensively.

She exhaled and plopped down on the grass. Chuck hesitantly sat down next to her, close enough that she could feel his body heat. "I don't think I'll every be naïve again." She mumbled sadly, cradling her face in her hands.

Chuck's face was drawn in uncertainty, but he placed his hands over Aria's and drew them away from her face, "That's not always a bad thing either," He said softly, Aria just stared at him wide-eyed, bewildered at the sudden shift in the mood. Chuck placed their hands on the ground, fingers intertwined, and he looked at her, "You did the right thing," He reassured.

Aria tried to feign a smile, but the conflicting emotions within her were too much. She missed the old way of life, and was terrified of the new one that she had accepted that night. She was also feeling slightly uneasy at how Chuck's warm breath was intermingling with hers, and the way his eyes were unyieldingly staring into hers. She noticed that he was leaning in…

"So I don't know how to free my friends' souls," She said, far too quickly, as she jerked her head back in a panic.

"Huh?" Chuck mumbled in a daze, his mouth parted slightly.

Aria immediately wanted to pummel herself in the face. She had just blown it with a sheer instinctive reaction! She was attracted to Chuck, obviously the feeling was mutual, and she owed him her life. If that weren't enough, she just wrecked her only chance of a kiss from him! She was flustered now, as she stood up and wrung her hands together, "Uh, I mean-"

Chuck blinked and slowly stood up as well, the weight of her 'rejection' making it clear to him, "What…what was that?"

Aria practically severed her lower lip, "What was what?" She said hastily, embarrassment filling her to the very core.

He eyed her for a moment, "I just tried to- you-?" He attempted to realize, before sighing, and laying back down, "Never mind." He said, and Aria could hear the tone of embarrassment in his own words.

She was torn between apologizing and ignoring what had just happened, if for nothing else than to save face, but Chuck ended up making the choice for her.

"So you were asking about your friends' souls?" He asked, his voice falsely cheerful again.

Aria dry swallowed, "Um, yeah, I was." She whispered, still feeling incredibly awkward from the almost kiss. "I don't know how to undo it." She admitted.

He paused, deep in thought, and looked at the top of the card that was peaking out from Aria's jeans pocket, "Can I see the cards?"

Aria just shook her head, relieved, but still feeling somewhat exposed and humiliated, "Sure," She spoke quietly, digging out the tarot deck and passing into Chuck's hands.

He shuffled through them, lifting one up, "Who's this?"

Aria's eyes narrowed at the card, which was an Eight of Cups, "That's no one." She said, grabbing for the deck, ignoring the brief electric sensation that passed through her as her hand brushed against his, and quickly withdrew the four cards containing her friends. "This is them, The Magician is Tessa, The Star is Imy, The Hermit is Riley, and The High Priestess is Jimena."

Chuck's eyes widened for a second, and Aria wasn't prepared when his hands viciously grabbed the last card she had shown, his eyes widening even more, upon inspection. An inspection that showed him the figure in the illustration looked far too familiar for comfort, with a pair of tattooed tears at the corner of her eye, and eye that was remarkably similar to his own in shape. "No way." He proclaimed.

Aria tilted her head, "What?"

He stood up abruptly, making Aria take a step back, "Look at this card again," He ordered, shoving The High Priestess at her.

She blinked, trying to comprehend his sudden and odd enthusiasm, "That's Jimena's card." She explained again.

"Jimena _who_?" He asked, his tone urgent and almost frantic.

"What's going on with you?" She questioned, all of the awkward emotion in the air from the 'almost' moment dispelled as she eyed him warily.

"What's her last name?" Chuck demanded now.

"Castillo," Aria replied, "Why?"

All movement ceased, "No way." He repeated again.

"Chuck?" She ventured, not sure how to react to what he was doing.

His head slumped slightly, "Jimena Castillo, Hispanic ex-gangster with a really scary glare, is your mentor?"

She carefully nodded, before it registered, "How do you know about the-?"

Chuck stared at her, "I haven't been completely honest with you, Aria. My full name is Carlos Veto Killingsworth, my dad's name is Collin Killingsworth, and my mom is-"

Her jaw dropped, upon recognition of the last name, "You're-!"

"I'm Jimena's son."

Shock vibrated through her entire body, the coincidence far too strange to understand. It all clicked, suddenly, the intimidating stance he could miraculously conjure up at the strangest of times, the familiar way he stood, even most of the facial structure could be compared to her Magna Mater's. "Then-" She started, but was cut off, when an oily voice reverberated throughout the area.

"Well, as much as I'd absolutely _abhor_ cutting into your kiddie drama," Came Loki, who had suddenly appeared on the railroad tracks at the top of the hill they had previously rolled down from, "I believe we have unfinished business."

Aria tore her gaze away from Chuck, or Carlos now, to the orange haired man, feeling terror crawl into her heart. She gave a glance to Carlos, who just sent her a look, a look that seemed to be asking her a rather difficult question.

'What now?'

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

_Next Up: _It's all or nothing now. Will Aria's discovery about Carlos's parents affect her trust in him? Will they be able to defeat Loki now that she's almost out of energy? And how, exactly, are they supposed to liberate the captured spirits of the rest of the DOTM? Will they ever freakin kiss? Find out next time!

Not my best chapter. My apologies, I hope you like it anyways though!

!nym!


	11. Wrath

_Night's Children: Cetera Desunt_

**AN: **This chapter was incredibly fun to write, it just took awhile, I'm sorry ::sad face:: BUT it's a longer one! Hooray! I ended up having to divide it into two separate sections, so this story might be a little longer than I had intended. But that's a good thing, right?

_I'm still right here, giving blood and keeping faith. - Tool_

**Chapter Ten: Wrath**

A sweat was beading on Aria's forehead as she numbly watched Loki stroll casually up to them, the intense look in his eyes betraying the normal saunter. It was as if time had been dipped in molasses, and she sluggishly tried to comprehend what the best course of action was. She was tired, beaten to within an inch of her strength, and it was taking the utmost concentration just to remain standing where she was.

She inhaled carefully, attempting to draw in some sort of inner tranquility and make an assessment of just how much power she had left. Her muscles ached, and her sides were still painfully cramped. To make matters worse, the extreme stress and physical exertion were beginning to take a toll on her mind as well, as everything seemed distorted and fuzzy. It would be a safe assumption to say she was most certainly not in fighting shape.

Her gaze shifted over to Chuck- Carlos, who stood there, looking just as confused as she felt. His skin was pale and his eyes were widened by the last minute confession. Her mind clouded over yet again, as she tried to process what had just occurred. He was Jimena's son. The ex-gangster, reincarnated goddess's _son_. While this in all honesty shouldn't have been so hard to comprehend, herself being a second generation deity as well, the seemingly bizarre coincidence was just too much to overlook. A sudden pang of panic hit her then, what if he felt too emotionally overwhelmed? What if he didn't want to fight anymore? She bit her lower lip as fear filled her, there was no possible way she could take on Loki by herself, not to mention Agatha, Suiren, and Rena who were sure to follow. She…needed him. Everyone needed him.

"Carlos," She started, hating how pathetic her voice sounded as she stared at him pleadingly, but he didn't answer. His gaze was trained on the approaching Loki, his eyes glazed over and unfocused. "Carlos?" She prodded again, this time with concern.

_He's frozen_, she thought immediately, recognizing the look of point-blank fear that she had donned more than enough times on his face as his hands shook slightly. _And we're doomed._ She tensed, and inwardly resolved that if they were going to go down, she wasn't going to quit without a fight. She was on her own, and it was all up to-

"I'll **kill **you!" Came a hoarse bellow, and Aria didn't even have hardly enough time to blink as a blur of tan and white rushed by her, tackling Loki down into the ground in a second.

As it registered, Aria turned and felt her jaw drop in sheer amazement as she saw rapidly paced punches, all fueled by adrenaline, come crashing into Loki's chest, Carlos sitting above him and swearing up a storm as each hit was punctuated by a word, "Don't-you-dare-touch-my-mother-again!" He snarled.

It took both of the teenagers by shock when Loki let out an insane laugh, throwing his head back and barking at the sky in a maniac mirth. Aria stared at the scene in confusion as it finally sunk in, _invulnerability, he's not feeling a thing. _Moving almost as fast as Carlos had, Aria strained to make the light blue accumulate around her hands once more, wincing slightly from the mental strain it was putting upon her. By the time she reached Loki, she had poured enough energy to make a faint aura, and she immediately pressed it harshly against the sides of his throat. The laughter died immediately, to be replaced by a primal howl.

"Carlos get away from him!" Aria demanded, her eyebrows screwing together in concentration as she pushed more purifying energy into him, feeling herself go slightly limp.

He backed up slightly, heaving angrily as his rage was not yet spent, "_Boludo!"_ He swore, watching as Aria kept pouring all of her strength into the purification.

Aria could feel herself loosing focus as she put all of her resolve into finishing this once and for all, her hands were shaking and her vision was starting to go black, but she was firm in her goal, and she wouldn't stop until he was defeated. Underneath her grip, Loki had started thrashing, scrambling to pry her off. Finally, he managed to bring his legs up and render a swift kick to Aria's side, making her loose her concentration and fall off like a rag doll. Loki stood up swiftly, the absolute fury in his eyes made them look like dancing flames as he towered over the partially defeated goddess who was attempting meagerly to reclaim her breath.

"I'm going to enjoy making you suffer," He hissed between clenched teeth as he approached her, his voice raspy and harsh from the sole injury he wasn't immune to. A hand reached for her, and she put her last efforts into inching away from him, knowing it was futile.

He was not expecting, however, to once again be knocked down from the behind, as Carlos snapped out of his anger induced haze to yet again take him out, "Don't touch her either!" He spat, aiming another hit for his face.

"It's useless to hit him," Aria cried out softly, still strained, "He's invulnerable to physical harm."

Carlos reared back his fist and hit him anyways, turning towards her, "Recharge, Aria, I'll distract him for you."

Her eyes widened, "That's suicide-"

"Then _please _recharge quickly," He shot back, jumping back a millisecond before Loki launched an elbow at his nose.

Aria could do nothing but slowly prop herself up and watch the scene in horror.

Carlos squared off against the orange haired guardian, tensing as he prepared to evade all the blows directed at him. He inhaled sharply as he closed his eyes and hoped that luck was on his side, as he nimbly dodged all the attacks coming. Aria gazed at the spectacle in wonder, when she saw how fast Carlos's reaction time was, and she pondered on why she never noticed it before.

A punch aimed for his temple was easily ducked, a knee towards his gut was avoided by jumping back at the last possible second. The strange looking dance continued, as Carlos seemed to anticipate all of his opponent's moves. Loki's leg was brought up, meant to connect at the shoulder, but he evaded that as well. Carlos appeared to be countering the larger man's actions before he actually decided to do them, even managing to dodge both an elbow meant for his ribs and a punch meant for under his chin.

It was as if…

It was as if he were able to see the attacks before they actually happened.

Worry beginning to subside as she continued to watch Carlos and Loki's almost game, she turned her attention back into returning her own powers. Her hands nimbly fell to her sides, and the flat portion of her palm felt the edge of a tarot card poking out of her pants' pockets. Quickly, she drew them out, looking at the three she held in her hands, Carlos had the High Priestess card still from when he took it, and she sighed heavily as she scrutinized the pictures. If there were only some way to at least free their spirits, she could feel like she had managed to at least accomplish _something. _

In her hand, she slowly evaluated the first card she had drawn out of her hands, The Star, Imy's. The picture showed Imy, frowning and obviously upset as she sat on a hillside and gazed skyward. She inwardly sighed and resolved herself into breaking whatever spell was over them, it was the least she could do.

She sat on the ground, desperately trying to drown out the sounds of the two men's scuffles as panic hit her chest every time she heard a grunt. Slowly, Aria let her eyes drift shut, as she attempted for quite possibly the last time to channel some sort of guidance or energy from her pale mother goddess. Her legs crossed over each other and she assumed a standard meditation pose.

"_O Mater Lunae, regina nocis, adiuvo me nunc," _She started, a dull thrumming was occurring, but no where near the power she needed, she licked her lips and continued, "_Aude Sapere, Aude Sapere, Aude Sapere," _She chanted, feeling the power increase within her. Yet something wasn't quite right, there was this odd shift, and it felt as if…something was out of balance within her. She shook the sensation off, her chanting growing louder, drawing the pair's attention.

"What's the witch doing?" Loki snarled, completely forgetting his opponent as he stared at the meditating girl who seemed to be bathed in a circle of pure, white light.

Carlos just stared blankly, amazed at how much power the seemingly fragile girl could hold within her, briefly he contemplated the strength of his own mother, and respect for the followers of Selene grew within him.

Aria exhaled slowly and stood up, she felt empowered, recharged, but that odd feeling that something was off wouldn't quite leave her. Her eyes darted down to the card, and disappointment flooded her chest when she noticed that Imy was still in the illustration. Upon closer inspection, however, Aria noticed the drawing version of her fellow goddess now had a large smile and was flashing a 'V for Victory' sign with her fingers. Aria's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"I'm through with these ridiculous games," Loki barked, the wiry man charging straight towards Aria. Carlos chased immediately after him, hoping to divert his attention away from the girl.

Aria shook her head and let the gift from Selene grow within her, as she focused the healing magic into her hands yet again. She desperately tried to avoid the fact that Loki was now closing in on her rapidly, fist reared back. Sweat beaded yet again on her forehead when she noticed that nothing was forming, and there was no reassuring blue light accumulating. Raw terror filled her when she saw Loki was now not even three feet from her. Everything seemed muted, and she could only make out Carlos's worried and concerned face from over the orange-haired man's shoulder.

Flinching, Aria began to shield her face with her arms in an 'x' shape, preparing for the blow as she closed her eyes…

Just as Loki's fist was about to make conflict, an all-encompassing light flashed, and her assailant was temporarily blinded as his fist soared through nothing but air.

Carlos, from the other side, felt his jaw drop when he saw Aria vanish instantaneously, "What…the….fu-?"

From the corner of his eye, he saw another flash of light about four feet away, and a circle appeared in the sky, Aria tumbling out of it. Carlos quickly ran under her and managed to capture her bridal-style before she hit the ground, her added weight making him drop down on his butt.

"Shit, why didn't you let me know you could do _that_?!" Carlos muttered good-naturedly, but his eyes still conveyed his awe.

Aria pressed a hand to her forehead, the same type of amazement in her own stare as she gazed at Carlos in disbelief, "I _can't _do that!" She proclaimed, obviously more than a little afraid.

Loki, having caught on to the sound of her voice, spun abruptly around, dumbfounded, "How-?" He proclaimed, obviously not able to form a coherent sentence at what had just occurred.

Aria stood up shakily with Carlos, his hand still around her waist, as she shook a bit. She had just managed to shift her place in less than a second! That was physically impossible, it was as if she had-

Her eyes widened and snapped down to the card, scrutinizing the smiling and encouraging picture of the brunette _teleporter_. "Oh my Goddess," She muttered.

Carlos looked over her to see the card, confused, "What?" He inquired.

"I…I somehow managed to _borrow _Imy's powers!" Her voice escalated towards the end of her statement, obviously shocked.

"Using her picture?" Her male counterpart asked, sounding just as baffled as she was.

Loki snorted from his place, "Using her spirit, you dunce." He paused for a moment then swore at himself for just giving out that piece of information.

"I am not a dunce!"

Aria continued to gaze at the drawing, quickly regarding Riley and Tessa's cards. Sure enough, the two of them looked absolutely miserable in their illustrations, Riley was staring dejectedly at a lantern she held her hand while Tessa appeared absolutely enraged behind the altar of her depiction. Her eyes drifted over to Imy's once again, and she was still in the same mirthful pose. Her stare trailed to Carlos, and as she remembered his fight, something clicked into place.

"Chuck!" She yelled suddenly, turning to face him abruptly.

"Yeah?" He murmured, clearly startled.

"Let me see Jimena's card!"

"Why?"

"Just let me see it!"

Hesitantly, Carlos pulled out the card from his pocket, and handed it over to Aria. Sure enough, the High Priestess no longer bore the stern, somber appearance, but was wearing a small smile, pride in her eyes. "They're coming out," She whispered, recalling how Carlos had managed to evade every single one of Loki's attacks earlier. "Carlos, you're going to think I'm crazy, but I think we're able to use the other Daughters' powers." She said softly.

His mouth screwed into an expression Aria couldn't place, "And what makes you say that?"

Aria opened her mouth the explain, but was cut off as a fist came sailing towards them, making them both jump away in the nick of time. Loki glared at the pair, "No more chit-chat," He hissed.

Quickly, Aria sprinted to Carlos's side, handing him The High Priestess card, "Just…Just use it or something!" She muttered before leaping out of the way of Loki's descending boot.

Carlos stared at the card in his hand, confused at the strange pulse it seemed to be emitting, an aura, crimson in color, was slightly glowing around his hand, and he could feel something foreign coming over him. Something that was welcoming and comforting. Slowly, he gripped the card tighter and tried to will the process to continue, knowing somehow that was what he was meant to do. He numbly tried to recall the words Aria hand been chanting, "_Aude sabre?_" He ventured, shaking his head when nothing occurred, _"Aude Sapere?"_ A tremor washed over him and he grinned wolfishly as his pupils began to dilate.

Meanwhile, Aria was having a difficult time concentrating as Loki sent barrage after barrage of hits. She had absolutely no control over the recently borrowed teleportation gift, as she sporadically disappeared and reappeared in acts of instinct as Loki's hits were about to land. Inwardly, she found a new-found admiration for Imy and the obvious control she exerted over her difficult power.

"STAY IN ONE PLACE!" Loki screamed out of pure frustration as he tried once again to hit her, only to punch a vacated space.

"I DON'T KNOW HOW!" She yelled back, equally frustrated, as she desperately tried to focus all of her attention into just standing still.

"Aria, grab onto Loki!" Carlos called from his spot, a strange vermillion glow surrounding him.

"Are you insane?!" She questioned him, far too appalled at his suggestion to notice the fact that he was, in fact, _glowing._

"Trust me on this one! I saw something!" He declared, standing up.

Aria let out a low hiss between her teeth and absently muttered, "And what then?"

"Then think about a place really, _really _far away." He said, arms crossed over his chest and smirking triumphantly.

A huge smile crept onto her face as she finally understood what the mentor's son was saying. Imy could not only teleport herself, but others as well. Her smile morphed into a devilish grin that crawled up onto her face as she quickly grabbed the collar of Loki's shirt, "It's been nice talking to you-" She started, as she clenched her eyes shut and focused all of her energy into taking him as far away as she could, "But I think you've most certainly worn out your welcome."

"Get off of me little girl!" He stated patronizingly, a hand reaching up for her wrist in an attempt to fling it off.

In that moment, however, a white circle appeared underneath the pair's feet, and in an instant, they vanished, Aria letting loose a victorious cry that echoed in their absence. Carlos stared at the spot they had previously occupied, still mildly shocked at the demonstration of bending space and time. He slowly shook his head as he stared into the distance, he had just been able to 'see' into the future and he was amazed that someone could teleport?

In less than a few seconds, a bright white circle drew itself about twenty feet away from Carlos, a worn-out healer tumbling clumsily out of it. He wasted no time as he quickly jogged over, worry and anxiety creeping up his throat. "Did it work?" He asked carefully as he extended a hand to help her up.

She quickly accepted it and propped herself on her feet, "I think so. Wherever I sent him, it was snowing."

He gave a smile that was all teeth, "Excellent."

She mirrored the expression, "I know."

An awkward silence overwhelmed the area before Carlos uncomfortably coughed into his hand, withdrawing his mother's card, "Here, I trust you more with it." He muttered.

Aria shook her head vehemently, "If Loki managed to catch up with us, there's no doubt the other three aren't far behind. Keep it, I'm going to need your help."

The surfer sent her a curious glance, "You trust me?"

Aria gave what she hoped was a reassuring look, "After all of the madness that's happened tonight, of course I do." Her eyes narrowed slightly, "You don't think I trust you after all this?"

He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, "It's just that, you know, when we almost, um-" He abruptly decided to sever that train of discussion, "Anyways, I take it all of this isn't a regular occurrence for you then?" He improvised quickly.

She exhaled, "Not for me anyway. Riley supposedly got herself into a large mess a month ago, but other than that it's normally not as chaotic." Her eyes took on a darkened look that Carlos couldn't quite place, "I'm sorry I got you dragged into all of this." She sighed.

He shrugged, "Apparently, I was already part of it if my mom's really this Magnum Matter-"

"Magna Mater," Aria corrected hastily.

"Whatever." He gave a forced chuckle, "It's kind of funny actually, I mean I know my mom was always scary but I didn't know that she could do things like _that_." He said gesturing to the card in his hand.

Her eyes widened, "I still have Riley and Tessa's cards!" She exclaimed, frantically pulling them out, "We could use them to fight Agatha, Suiren, and Rena." She muttered, handing Carlos one of the two she took out.

He gingerly grasped The Hermit, which featured a rather sad looking girl with maroon hair, "What do you want me to do with this?" He asked cautiously.

She bit her lower lip, "If we can get these cards to…release I guess, we'll have a huge advantage over them!"

"And what's this one do?" He inquired, flashing it like some sort of trading card.

"Riley's an empath, she controls other people's emotions." She explained.

"Uh huh. And how is that useful when fighting?"

"Trust me, it's pretty useful. Riley's used it to inflict extreme fatigue or confusion on enemies," Aria said the word 'fatigue' a little too bitterly as she recalled a certain instance where she was knocked unconscious in a mall bathroom stall.

Carlos scrutinized the portrait, still not quite seeing how that could be of use, he turned to Aria, "What's yours do?"

"Tessa creates mental illusions, she can make people see things that aren't really there, and distort reality."

Carlos looked at his card, then Aria's, and there was a pause before, "I want to trade."

She shook her head, "You don't want to trade. Tessa's power is the strongest out of all of ours, true, but it's also the most difficult to control and takes extreme mental concentration."

"Are you saying that I have no mental concentration?"

She let out a long breath, "No, Carlos, but I have more experience, I'd have the better shot at inflicting damage."

He stared at her, then sighed as he gauged her honesty, "Fine, but you need to show me how this works."

Aria's face twisted into confusion, and her mouth gave a little pout that Carlos was suddenly finding very attractive, before she turned to him again, "When I unleashed Imy's powers, I was just doing standard meditation. It seemed to work when I recited the words I heard the night I attacked Mammon."

"That '_Aude Sapere'_ thing?" As soon as the two words had left the boy's mouth, a flicker of gray jolted through the card and he felt a slight buzz, "I see."

She straightened her stance, and took a deep inhale, "Alright, let's do this." Her eyelids fluttered closed as she held the card up-

"You look sort of stupid."

"Shut _up_ Carlos." She grit between her teeth, inhaling again to regain her composure. She regulated her breathing before starting the chant, "_Aude Sapere, Aude Sapere, Aude Sapere-"_

As she progressed, the surfer watched with nothing short of entrancement as the card she was holding began to glow golden, the aura spreading and covering over the teenager as she continued her recitation, her voice growing stronger as she continued. "Whoa."

Her eyes snapped open fiercely, and he was taken aback as they flashed a shade of azure before reverting back to their regular amber color. "I think I'm done." Carefully, she brought The Magician up to face level. Upon inspection, she saw that the blonde was no longer looking like she was festering in rage, but instead her arms were crossed and an arrogant smirk was spread across her face. A tiny, relieved smile made its way to her face. "I think it worked, but before I try it out, you go."

Carlos blinked rapidly as he attempted to comprehend what to do, "So you want me to recite some weird Latin words, and absorb a random chica's emotional powers?"

She nodded.

"This is so insane," He mumbled before he tried to replicate the stance Aria had just done. Slowly, his eyes drifted closed-

"Carlos, you look really stupid."

He gnawed on the inside of his cheek, "Very funny," He muttered sardonically as he restarted the process, his own breathing deepening, "Alright, let's do this. _Aude Sapere, Aude Sapere…_"

It was now Aria's turn to watch as a gray haze lifted up from The Hermit, covering Carlos entirely in a matter of moments. Casually, she remarked that the process had almost occurred as naturally as her own, and when Carlos opened his eyes they were momentarily the awfully familiar pale gray of Riley's. But it was over quickly, as it faded and was replaced by the odd sepia tone. "That was…beyond creepy."

"I'll second that, do you feel any different?" Aria asked carefully.

He paused, then nodded, "I can _feel _things just floating through the air," He said softly, his fingers drifting through empty space as if he were running them over threads, his eyes stared owlishly before a huge triumphant grin appeared on his face, "You _do _like me!" He proclaimed happily.

She hit herself in the forehead with her palm before letting her hand trail down her face, "Now's really not the time." She groaned, hoping her hand would hide the tell-tale blush. A few beats passed before she ventured out, "I'm going to attempt using Tessa's now, let me know if anything appears…different."

Her eyes yet again closed and she tried to envision a scenario to create. She decided on something simple, to make it seem like the hillside was a desert, and she pieced together enough careful details to start forming it together. Her eyes clenched and she poured everything she had into making it work. After a few seconds, she asked, "Any…thing…different?" Between labored breaths.

"Not really. It looks like you're standing on orange grass," Carlos supplied helpfully.

All motivation to continue with the illusion failed as she hissed in annoyance, the orange grass shifting back to plain old green, "Forget it then, I'll just stick with Imy's teleportation," She stated, irritated beyond belief.

"You don't need to be so crabby," Carlos snapped, gray flickering around him. It took exactly two seconds for Aria to deduct that he was being easily influenced by her own emotions, such as Riley occasionally did when the feelings were strong enough.

She inwardly calmed herself down, knowing that Carlos would have difficulty mastering the power of empathy, "I'm sorry. Why don't you try?"

He looked at her in confusion, obviously clueless, "What exactly do I need to do?"

Aria searched her memories for all times she had seen Riley use her powers in action, "You're supposed to look really solemn and then concentrate really hard?" She offered, knowing that did next to absolutely no good.

He groaned, "Let's just try this." His eyebrows drew together and his jaw clenched as he tried to project emotions out onto Aria, a gray fuzz filling the space between them.

Slowly, she felt a sudden tremor of cold cover her, her breath catching and becoming panicky. Pure horror overcame the girl, as she sunk to her knees, desperately clenching her stomach and trembling.

It didn't take Carlos long to react, "Oh shit, Aria!" The gray dispersed instantaneously, as he sprinted to her side, "I'm sorry, it wasn't supposed to-"

The spell quickly left her, and she inhaled deeply, carefully standing back up, "It's…okay." She murmured, "What the hell were you doing?" She said sharply, temper in full store.

He flinched slightly, his hands up in a signal of surrender, "I swear I was just trying to make you feel like you were being tickled-"

She rose an eyebrow, "Tickled?"

He shrugged, "It seemed like an easy enough way to influence someone."

She placed a hand under chin, contemplative, "It almost seems as if you're doing counter opposites to every emotion you try to inflict." She paused, "Try again, this time, try to make it so I'm depressed."

His nose wrinkled, "You _want _to be depressed?"

"Carlos."

"Yeah?"

"Just shut up already and trust me."

His hands outstretched, fingers splayed, and the same aura game flying towards her. As soon as it hit her, Aria found herself beginning to giggle slightly, a sensation of elation overcoming her greatly. Her fingers clutched her sides as she began to laugh loudly, tears coming to her eyes. Between pants, she managed to mutter, "Oh-kay, let-go!"

Carlos's hand immediately clutched into a fist, and the feeling disappeared, leaving her short of breath by relatively unharmed. Standing up carefully, she wiped tears away from the corners of her eyes before facing him, "I think you are able to control it enough to be useful," She said bluntly, "You use Riley's power inversely, but it works."

Carlos stared at her blankly before he slowly nodded, giving a hard swallow, "I am definitely going to need counseling." Was all he muttered.

Aria grimly nodded in return, her mind trying to formulate a plan in the limited amount of time she had left, "Let's see what we have to our advantage," She started to tick things off on her fingers, "First of all, I have a basic control over Imy's powers, and you have a manageable over both Riley and Jimena's." She sighed, "But, there's no way I can make use of Tessa's illusions, they take too long to formulate and it's incredibly difficult to maintain focus on outside surroundings while generating another reality."

"So…?" He ventured, waiting for further explanation from the more experienced one of the pair.

"So, we've taken out Damien, Kiriak," At his name both of them grimaced slightly, "and Loki. You injured Suiren slightly, but we don't honestly know the extent of her powers." She exhaled, "That leaves both Rena and Agatha in perfect fighting condition. Loki stated earlier that Rena has the ability of eternal youth, which is not necessarily something you can battle with, however, we have to remember that she's armed with a gun and her size can make her a distraction."

Carlos closed his eyes, absorbing the information, "And Agatha has 'the power of convenience', whatever that means."

She nodded, resting on her knees as her fingers absently toyed with the grass at her sides, "I'm assuming it means that whenever she's in dire need of a power, she'll get it."

"Like?"

She shrugged, partially annoyed at their ignorance, "I don't know. A shield, maybe? Healing powers? Something that neutralizes our own abilities?"

"How do you beat someone like that?" He asked out loud, not expecting an answer, as the two mulled the various situations and outcomes mentally.

The pair sat in the field for a few minutes, both racking their brains for some sort of solution. Carlos mused inwardly to himself, _How do you beat someone who can't be defeated? It would take some sort of ability that-_

His eyes snapped open wide, "I've got it!" He proclaimed triumphantly, jolting straight up.

Aria raised an eyebrow, obviously skeptical, "Oh?"

Carlos couldn't restrict that huge grin that made its way to his face as he said enthusiastically, "I think I have a plan."

**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

**Up Next: **With newly acquired powers, as well as Loki out of the picture, things are FINALLY starting to look positive for Aria and Chuck. However, there still lies the problem of Agatha, the strongest out of the seven guardians with a seemingly undefeatable gift. Will Carlos's plan, whatever it is, be effective? Or is he just, well, an idiot?

This chapter had to be divided, just because it was getting quite long (fifteen pages) and I desperately need a break from writing this story. Sorry, I'm just having issues with this section ::sad face::. Anyways, the next part will be up shortly (hopefully before the end of the week) and it will be a little shorter (about six or seven pages...maybe. I might just combine it with the next chapter)

Also, I figured that Tessa and Riley's powers would be a lot harder for Aria and Chuck to manage as they are almost completely opposite of what they're used to. When I gave each Daughter a power, I tried to create a balance: two (one defense, one offense) physically centered gifts and two mental ones. Aria's power is a physical defensive power, so it would be difficult for her to control a mentally offensive one (Tessa's illusions). She has an easier time with Imy's because it is the other physical power. Chuck would have problems with any other gifts aside from Jimena's due to the fact that he's a complete n00b at the whole supernatural thing. Sorry if that's all confusing, the Tarot card/borrowing other powers will be explained more clearly later, sorry again if there were any questions, feel free to ask me about any uncertainties you have!

Sorry for the really long note!

!nym!


	12. Catharsis

**AN: **AUGH! This story hates me! ABSOLUTELY HATES ME! I've never had as much trouble with writing as I've had with this chapter. It MADE ME SO **ANGRY**!! I RESTARTED THREE TIMES!

Achem…

I decided to combine what was left of chapter ten with something…extra. I've deviated a bit from the original outline, so there's going to be fifteen chapters instead of fourteen.

**Chapter Eleven: Catharsis **

When Rena sprinted across the field, trailing after Loki, she was more than surprised to see the two 'bad people' standing calmly and expectantly. She was even more shocked to discover that the bad people were, well, _glowing._ She halted immediately in her step and quickly surveyed the area, "They're still here!" She proclaimed softly to herself, somewhat happy. Rena's Mistress was coming, her walk was far more staggered and slothful than Rena's own, so for now it was just the forever young guardian.

Rena almost hit herself in the head, she had forgotten all about Mr. Loki! She squinted her eyes, and saw that the two teens were alone, "I don't see him." She said surely, finding herself compelled to narrate her surroundings to herself in a lower voice. A tiny bit of fear filled her, if these bad people were able to hurt _Loki _then she was in a **lot **of trouble.

But…

But she had to do something!

Rena nodded, resolved, as she prepared to fight the mean guys who had hurt Damien bad, and had hurt Kiriak _really _bad. She was all by herself, as Mistress had decided to leave Suiren in the field next to Damien, as she was still unconscious from all of the blood loss from the dirty boy shooting her. Both of Rena's small hands clenched around the handle of her pistol as she strained her arm muscles to lift it at eyelevel. Her gaze was narrowed as she attempted to target in on one of the bad people, the pretty girl who had said she was ugly. Two of her index fingers curled around the trigger and she pressed it in with a forced flex.

BANG!

The sound of the shot ricocheted across the area, and Rena was propelled backwards, the force of the backfire too much for her. Her buckled shoes managed to dig their heels into the earth, and she remained standing. Her eyes widened and jaw dropped when she realized that her shot had missed as both of them were still standing and now looking straight in her direction.

Her hands were shaking, the vibration of the bullet still reverberating through the handle and she did her best set of puppy eyes, jutting out her lower lip for effect, "That's not good."

Her thoughts were suddenly cut off as she felt her feet leave the ground, terrified, her head spun around, trying to determine what was happening. The sudden pull around her neck made her look up, straight into a pair of incredibly annoyed amber eyes. "Put me down!" She protested childishly squirming against the hold the Healer had on her collar.

"No way! You just shot at me!" The older girl replied angrily, and in a second a hand ripped the gun out of her small grasp.

Rena blinked for a moment, comprehension dawning, "How did you get over here so fast?"

A tiny smile crept up on the Healer's face, "Want to find out?" She said, almost giddy.

Rena tensed in her hold and smashed her eyes closed. Briefly, she saw the inside of her eyelids turn red, indicating a flash of light, but it faded quickly.

Carlos watched, slightly nonplussed, as Aria and the little demon girl from before came tumbling out of a portal. His arms crossed over his chest and his breathing was completely even despite the total nervous wreck he was in mentally, "Where's the old gal?" He asked simply.

Aria sighed and shook her head. "I'm assuming she's coming later." She looked at Carlos and then held up the gun she had taken from the little girl, who was thrashing in her grip. She winced slightly when a rather forceful kick hit her in the shin, "I got this though."

Carlos immediately took the gun and unloaded it, handing the bullets to Aria, "Are you going to teleport cabbage patch?" He asked simply, gesturing to the little hellion.

She nodded resolutely, her grip tightening, "I'll be right back," She muttered, her eyes fluttering shut as light encompassed the pair.

Carlos gave a half-hearted salute before the flash came and they disappeared from view.

"Foolish," He heard crooned behind him. Abruptly, he swerved on his heel to meet the level gaze of the leader of the Seven Guardians.

Agatha gave a malicious smile as she lifted her cane, "Rena was bait," She said flatly, "You fell so perfectly into our ploy."

Carlos tried to retain his composure, "What are you saying?" He finally asked.

"I'm saying that we weren't late in arriving without a reason," She continued, "Strategy is a very helpful thing."

The surfer's eyes widened, "What did you do?"

The mean spirited grin escalated, "I used my gift to reroute the Healer, that's all."

"How did you know she could teleport!" He blurted, obviously not thinking rationally.

"Do you think me an imbecile? I watched the fight between you two and Loki, and observed your fighting," She calmly stated.

"Damn," Carlos whispered, his fist clenching. Quickly, he deducted that she hadn't been able to hear their discussion, or at least he was hoping she'd been too far away.

He didn't have much time to think as she then abruptly swung her cane around, heading towards Carlos's neck, "You're on your own!" She snarled.

"Damn!" He yelled this time, darting under the wooden bludgeon. He somersaulted away from the old woman before quickly standing, his stance crouched.

This wasn't good, and he berated himself for not seeing passed something as simple as this. Of course the old witch, nearly four times his age, would know something along the lines of foresight. Now Aria was probably in danger, and a serious curveball was thrown into their plan. He bit his lower lip as he stared at his opponent. He could do this, it would just take a little more effort.

Without any hesitation, Carlos's eyes fluttered shut and his palms were pressed together, focused. His mind worked overtime as he drew up another method as well as drawing on the energies from the Moon Goddess. His mouth silently worded the Latin phrase, and slowly his hands acquired a gray aura.

He gave a bitter chuckle, "At least something went right." He mumbled, before tensing and preparing for the first strike.

OoO

Aria was more than shocked to feel a clammy hand encase her throat the minute she appeared. She felt her grip on Rena slacken and her feet lift off of the ground and she inwardly thought about how this was an all too familiar position tonight. Her throat seemed to cave in on itself, and a sharp sensation in her neck brought tears to her eyes as she quickly tried to process just what was going on. Blinking slowly, she realized that in her field of vision there was only one object. An object with bright orange hair and piercingly irate eyes.

"Gotcha," Loki snarled, his cockney accent thickened by his rage as his fingers clenched tighter.

Aria's hold on Rena failed all together, and the girl immediately darted away, hiding behind the vengeful Guardian and giggling girlishly. The healer's legs fruitlessly kicked back and forth, making contact with Loki's midsection but having no effect whatsoever.

"Squirm," He hissed maliciously, still obviously angered from the effects of the Daughter of the Moon's purification abilities.

Aria could feel darkness creep into the sides of her vision and gasped frantically for nothing, her air passage effectively closed. Numbly, her fingers pried at the man's hand, but his grip was firm. Her mind quickly realized that if she didn't do something within the next minute, she was a goner. Rapidly, her mind calculated methods of release.

Teleportation was obviously useless, as Loki was making physical contact with her and would only be carried along. Her healing abilities were totally spent, rendered useless to the point where the only damage she could deal the orange haired Guardian was to hurt his feelings with scathing sarcasm. That had long flew out the window as well, what with that not being able to breathe thing.

"Worthless piece of trash," Loki growled, grip tightening even more and the pain was so intense Aria was sure her neck would snap, "I'm going to personally ensure Agatha _burns _those other Goddess cards."

Rena smiled and repeated smugly, "Burn!"

The will to fight was flowing out of Aria quicker than her air supply, as her struggles continued to only amuse the sadistic man more as each life-sustaining second passed. Putting the last of her energy into a final kick, Aria propelled her foot into Loki's gut, hoping he could see the hatred reflected in her eyes as he laughed at her pathetic attempt.

"What a waste," Loki muttered disdainfully, "To think you managed to destroy Mammon. Worthless girl."

Those were the last words Aria heard, as she felt her consciousness begin to slip.

In her mind, faces flashed.

Jimena was first, the look of disappointment for Aria's failure tonight apparent in her dark eyes.

Carlos followed, and she could visualize him anxiously waiting for her return, which would now never come.

Next was Imy, the laughter and joy removed from her features as she just seemed to stare at her in sorrow.

Riley was after that, her face as emotionless as always, but Aria could envision the anger and bitterness she would have righteously felt coming off of her in waves.

Finally, there was Tessa…

Tessa!

Aria's eyes snapped open, her inertia disrupted as a somewhat revelation hit her harshly. Mustering a willpower hidden in the depths of her heart, she focused sharply on the illusionist powers of the Fourth Daughter of the Moon. She prayed constantly that something would surface to save her and give her enough time to teleport away from the situation. Her teeth clenched despite the obvious strain, and her eyelids slammed shut, dazzling flashes of red and gold occurring inside her closed eyes. _Just this one last time…_ She pleaded inwardly. _Once more…_

Aria felt her limbs growing cold and sluggish as her arms dropped and her legs hung languidly. She lacked the strength to hold her head upright, and it would have lolled if not for Loki's intense grip. A sick crack echoed throughout the area and she wondered if it was the sound of the earth, opening up to send her to the underworld like in those old Greek myths. She felt herself falling, and knew it was the end.

That is, until her behind slammed against the hard ground and air burningly entered her lungs. Coughing pathetically, her chest and throat aching, her eyes fluttered open and she teared up as Aria attempted to get her breathing cycles functioning again. Hacking and inhaling viciously, her gaze traveled up to meet that of her assailant's.

Loki stood there, seemingly glassy eyed, and Aria wondered what she had exactly done to him. Soon, he started to make odd, gagging noises himself, and his hand tenderly circled around his own throat, making the pantomime that someone was strangling him. Aria studied him for a moment, entranced with a morbid fascination, before it registered. Tessa's power had come through at the very last possible second, and Loki was now have the experience Aria had, the illusion working like some sort of twisted mirror. Her theory was confirmed when a haze of gold covered Loki's eyes.

Rena tugged on the older Guardian's pant leg, "Mister Loki?" She asked, her concern picking up intensity when she received no response, "Mister Loki? Mister Loki!"

Survival instincts came back to Aria, as she bit her lip and drew power to her, forming a weak circle of white light around herself. The oxygen was passing easier now, and her concentration returned. She quickly gave a prayer of thanks to Selene and an inward vow to buy both Tessa and Imy dinner when this was all over before the light swallowed her whole and she disappeared from both Loki and Rena.

OoO

Carlos felt like his head was literally splitting into two, the pain making his vision blur and starry. Panting, he rested a hand on his knee and sunk slightly from standing, nausea overcoming him. What was most amazing was that it was not from the old bat that his agony was received, but from himself.

The 'borrowed' powers he was wielding seemed to be tearing his own head apart, ripping and pulling in two different directions. His mother's gift of precognition had been barely noticeable when he was using it, seeming to blend right along with his own psyche, but with the addition of Riley's, quite frankly, chaotic power, his struggle to maintain control over both was wearing him down.

Thankfully, the use of Jimena's foresight had avoided him major blows from Agatha, who seemed to be getting more and more skilled at hand to hand combat as their fight continued. He inwardly tried to subdue the empathetic abilities as a whirlwind of emotions catapulted him at every instance, making it incredibly difficult to focus or calculate his opponent's next moves.

Agatha watched her intended victim with a minimal amount of interest, "Seems as if you're killing yourself." Her eyes narrowed with disdain, "Little worms such as yourself should know their own limitations. Fool." She threw in for greater measure.

A white shock of pain hit him, his head throbbing, as he maintained his posture shakily, "Shut up hag." He spat, channeling more intensity into his next possible strike.

The older woman stared at him with her amethyst eyes, smirking coyly, "It seems your little friend hasn't returned. She must be rather tired already, no?"

The teenager almost audibly growled, recognizing the bait and refusing to rise to it. Still, he could not ignore the tremor of anxiety that flowed through him as he thought that it had indeed been a long while since Aria had disappeared into the Guardians' trap.

So far, the fight between the two of them had been little more than a game of cat and mouse. Agatha could only strike at him fruitlessly, as he could dodge and evade all of the attacks before she even thought to launch them. Carlos, for his part, was unable to deal any damage as well. His inner war was making any sort of blow impossible, and Agatha never gave him enough time to try and get Riley's out of control power to submit.

He tried to stay focused on his plan. His strategy was simple, and there was a large chance it would prove ineffective, but it was the only method that he had to stall and cause sustaining harm to the leader of the Seven Guardians. If he had just a few seconds to collect his scattered mentality, he was positive he could end the whole encounter with just one move. Yet where the hell was Aria? She was the crucial component, as she was needed to provide a distraction. Before they had been interrupted, she and Carlos had been working on the use of Riley's powers, and they had easily discovered that in order to achieve the best results, Carlos needed to have absolute attention on the empathetic abilities. Something unlikely to happen when he was trying to avoid being maimed by a senior citizen with a killer right hook.

Aria better not have gotten hurt…or Carlos was just going to have to kick her ass.

His thoughts sharpened suddenly, as he predicted a vicious right leg coming for his stomach. Quickly, he dropped to the ground and rolled to his left, narrowly dodging the sharp kick from Agatha. His eyes were able to tell that her movements had dramatically picked up in speed, and would rival Kiriak's in a few moments. He sprinted as far away from her as he could, swerving sharply to avoid the cane coming for the back of his skull. Oh yeah, the crone was _much _faster now.

Carlos could feel his stamina slipping, burning cramps and labored breathing a signal of this. He didn't have much time left against her, as she seemed to actually fair better as the time progressed. His sepia colored eyes bared into her violet ones, and a stare down commenced for a few heartbeats.

"It is highly unlikely that you will last another five minutes," She observed primly, "It'd spare everyone a lot of trouble to just subject yourself to fate."

Carlos gave a bitter chuckle, "You wish." As soon as the pair of words left his mouth, mind-racking pain filled his skull as the eclectic emotions overcame him yet again.

Agatha sniveled her nose as if she'd smelt something foul, "Look at yourself, you're pathetic. You have nothing left to fight for-"

Relief filled Carlos to the brink when he noticed a bright circle in the sky, followed by a Healing goddess toppling out of it and landing on a Guardian of Hell's head.

He smirked wryly, "Nice of you to join us." He muttered caustically, sagging to his knees as another bout of erratic powers emerged.

Aria stared at him blankly, flatly observing that she was now sitting on top of an old woman with supernatural powers. "I'm not too late, am I?" She asked.

Carlos shook his head, "Just in time," He stated between grimaces.

Aria smiled lightly, "That's good, I was a little hung up." She cringed inwardly at the lame pun she probably only got, before hopping off of Agatha and teleporting away instantly.

"Underhanded tricks from despicable rodents," The regal leader spat, getting up to her knees, "_Rena _holds more honor in battle than you pair of insufferable fools."

Carlos rolled his eyes, "I honestly don't give a flying crap about honor. I'm taking you out." He said flatly, immediately sitting down and assuming a standard lotus meditative position. His eyes slammed shut and his breathing evened out and deepened.

The old woman laughed, a harsh and brittle sound, "And how are you going to accomplish this? By napping?"

Just then, another bright flash filled the area, Aria standing up straight and sending a kick at Agatha's head, "Actually, you'll be fighting me." She stated darkly.

"I see, a repose for the uncouth one." She yawned, fanning herself, "I will dispose of you both soon enough and make my way home alone. A shame really, Rena was quite good at carrying my luggage."

Aria's eyebrows screwed together tightly, "How can you take this so lightly?" She asked, somewhat incredulous, as they traded hit for hit, Aria teleporting to dodge most of Agatha's. "Don't you realize that I could have killed your subordinates?"

"I believe you've already managed that with two of them," She said languidly, sending her cane for Aria's temple. She missed, narrowly, "And I apologize for letting you believe that those lackeys were indispensable."

Aria's eyes widened and her breath caught, "You don't _care_ what happens to them?"

Agatha barked out another strangled peal of laughter, "Of course not! Silly little girl. They're nothing but pawns, their power leagues behind mine." Her gaze intensified, "Our master isn't in favor of coddling weaklings like your precious _Lunae Mater._"

Her astonishment led Aria to receive a rather painful hit to the knee, and her weight shifted towards the ground before she teleported a safer distance away, "Then why all of this trouble for Mammon?"

"It's not about Mammon, at least not to me." The crone gave a rather undignified roll of her eyes, "Those pathetic subordinates of mine probably deluded themselves into thinking this was some elaborate revenge, but it's not." The irises of her eyes began to glow, lightening up with an indigo fire, "It's about restoring my _pride _and my _strength. _If word returned to Tartarus that some pathetic little goddess in training bested _my _lackeys, my credibility would be compromised." She hissed, her attacks now far more intense and rapid, "To maintain my standing, you and the other ignorant Daughters had to be destroyed."

Her mouth felt dry as Aria tried to process this, "You sacrificed your own team for pride?" She stammered, finding the concept ridiculous.

"For power," She corrected coldly, and Aria noticed with horror that the old woman was starting to drive her back, had cornered her to going on the defensive, "Everything is trivial in comparison. Mammon was an insufferable idiot only worth _anything _because of his spying abilities, and Kiriak's brash temper overrode any sort of benefit to be seen from his fighting prowess." She sighed, in mock sorrow, "_Such _a loss."

Aria could feel the terror filling her when she realized just how twisted this elderly lady was. Whatever strength she had left was being channeled into an overdrive as she attempted to regain the offensive. Randomly flailing and teleporting as quickly as she could, Aria managed to only land two hits. One flimsy punch to Agatha's shoulder, and a relatively weak kick to the backs of her legs. Straining, she teleported as far away from Agatha as she could, sinking to her knees and breathing heavily in a try to get her bearings.

"Is this all you have now? How disappointing." Came a chiding voice entirely too near.

Aria's head shot up, awestruck when she saw that Agatha had somehow materialized directly in front of her, a veined hand grabbing her by a fistful of Aria's hair and propelling her forward, landing face first in the dirt.

The third Daughter of the Moon coughed weakly, using her hands to push herself up. But before even five seconds had passed, she felt an iron hand grip the back of her tank top, lifting her off the ground and then slamming her back down ferociously. Aria wheezed, the breath knocked out of her, and put all of her focus into creating another teleportation circle.

Agatha stared at the weakly growing lines appearing around her, "Oh no you don't," She muttered, sending a harsh kick into Aria's ribs where she lay on the ground.

The healer cried out as the sharp agony hit her, causing her to loose any concentration. She gasped for air, clawing into the dirt with her fingernails. The pain couldn't get any worse, and Agatha continued her brutal assault, Aria shortly coughing. Stars danced in her vision and she groaned as she realized that her stolen powers seemed to be ebbing, burned out.

"Aren't you going to beg for mercy?" Agatha jibbed, her hair had fallen out of its pristine bun and lay around her face, giving her the appearance of one irrevocably insane.

Aria couldn't find the power to articulate, so she settled for a miniscule, but noticeable, shake of her head.

"How lowly and worthl-" Her words fell away almost as instantly as her hits, as she ungracefully staggered away from Aria, falling onto the ground.

Aria took a few cautious breaths, relief filling her almost as much as dread. Why had she stopped her beating? Was this some sort of demented trap, to lull her into a false sense of security? Her inner questions ceased as a pair of sandaled feet stopped in front of her line of vision. With an aching pain, she rolled her stare up and saw Carlos. His jaw was clenched, eyes widened in fury, and a vein throbbing on his neck.

"Don't touch her," He growled, his fingers outstretched and reaching.

It was just then that Aria noticed despite his wrathful appearance, the more intimidating aspect of Carlos was the surrounding gray aura around him. Aria's eyes dilated as she felt how tightly and synchronized Riley's powers were with his, a complete turnaround from the helter-skelter relationship they had shared when she had returned from Loki's death grip.

"What's going on?" Agatha simpered, her voice faulty and afraid when she realized that her disposition was changing, her malicious attitude fell away in an instant to be replaced with a new, stronger emotion.

"It's called self-loathing," Carlos said monotonously, and Aria's head jerked slightly when she realized that his tone was identical to Riley's when she was using her gift. "I'm going to make you want to destroy yourself."

"Sadistic," Agatha mumbled, sounding almost impressed, before the gray aura engulfed her. Carlos's attention remained on the old woman, watching as her features morphed from refined to disgust, a strange sense radiating off of her.

"Carlos?" Aria whispered, still somewhat shocked, as she got to her feet, wincing at the pain but bearing through it, "How? How did you-?"

Carlos diverted his attention for a mere moment, looking at her with an intensity in his brownish red eyes, and she saw that despite the cool and calm façade of Riley, it was still Carlos at the core of it, "We came to an agreement." He said awkwardly, not knowing how else to explain it.

"'We?'" Aria asked, confused beyond a doubt.

"I'll explain in a moment…" His stare trailed off, back towards the leader of the Seven, and Aria followed his look.

Agatha lay there, her bony hands clenched tightly around her head as her face contorted with a silent scream. Aria couldn't help the repulse that flew through her as the old woman's fate proceeded to reveal itself. Despite the woman's wicked and hurtful purpose, this seemed like an unbearable agony, one the Daughters weren't allowed to inflict.

Carlos seemed to pick up on her obvious distress, "Why don't you teleport her far away from here?" He asked gently, "I can release her from the empathetic influence now that it's been started."

Aria just shakily made her way over, wrapping an arm around Agatha's now seemingly brittle one, mustering enough energy to create a final circle of teleportation, the gray aura dissipating immediately with her touch. Resolved, Aria teleported Agatha to an unknown location, trying desperately not to look at her as she vanished back towards Carlos.

When she returned, she stumbled slightly, surprised when two strong hands caught her around the arms, "Are you okay? Did she hurt you? I didn't mean to take so long-" Came a rushed stammer.

Aria just shook her head, "I'm fine, it's nothing to worry about. What…happened?"

Aria regained her stance, and noticed that his grip was still on her arms. His hands felt warm over her biceps, comforting and reassuring. She felt incredibly awkward in her position, yet still content enough not to ask him to remove them.

Carlos sighed and sat slowly down on the grass, "I'm not exactly sure."

Aria sat next to him, her dissolved strength causing her to sway slightly, exhaustion prohibiting her from keeping her head up. Not even caring about the repercussions, she leaned her cheek on his shoulder, slightly surprised when he didn't object. "Is it over?" She muttered weakly, fatigued.

The surfer nodded somberly, "That was the finishing move, in a few moments, the old witch will…" He trailed off, beginning to feel uncomfortable.

Aria eyed him skeptically, "How could you know that?"

He sighed, "When I was meditating, I heard you scream…" He shook his head, "I was trying to reign in the empathetic powers, like we had gone over, but I was having difficulties. When I heard you cry, something snapped and I couldn't focus anymore." There was a pause before he hesitantly continued, "Then I heard a reassuring voice, and I saw this really strange woman dressed all in white and she told me how to defeat the old broad. After that everything sort of …clicked, I guess."

Aria's eyes widened, as she pieced together the image of the ethereal woman who had saved her life earlier. "What did she say?"

Carlos's mouth twisted slightly, as he attempted to recall the conversation he had while Aria was busy fighting against Agatha.

_A high shrill was heard throughout the field, and Carlos tensed instantly upon recognition that the voice was Aria's. "Shit," He proclaimed, breaking his mental concentration and ready to rush over and help the pained goddess._

"_I wouldn't do that if I were you," Came a tranquil voice, smooth and gentle, from behind him._

_Carlos paused in his step and quickly turned around, "Who are you? And where did you come from?" He demanded, shaken and surprised by the sudden appearance._

_The woman before him was very pale and radiant. Her long blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders and her white dress flowed gracefully as she walked over towards him, "I'm no one important," Was all she said, kindly yet with an undertone of moroseness._

_Carlos shook a bit and faced forward, "I have to help Aria," He said, determined to ignore the mystery woman. His actions were halted when he felt a surprisingly cold hand on his shoulder._

"_If you go there, without being prepared, she will destroy you both," The woman stated sadly, "I can help you save her, but you will need to trust me."_

"_Help me how?"_

_The mysterious figure smiled, "You are an interesting person, Carlos Killingsworth." She spoke, Carlos's face lighting in surprise when he discovered she knew his name, "You have your own power, inherited by your mother."_

_His face contorted in confusion, "What power?"_

"_It's subtle, but you have a sort of latent precognitive ability," The woman explained carefully, "Have you ever noticed your keen reflexes? How you always manage to avoid danger at the last possible second?"_

_He stared at her, "That's called luck, lady."_

"_Then you are an incredibly lucky person, Carlos." She said smoothly, raising an eyebrow and daring him to deny it. He didn't, "Because of your own abilities, you were able to adapt to your mother's powers easily, and using them was like second nature to you." She paused, "But with this power," Her slim hand fingered Riley's card, "You're going to need a stronger capacity, which is something you sadly don't have."_

_He could feel the frustration rising within him, "Then what do I do?!" He proclaimed._

_She shook her head, "It's a difficult problem to solve, even the Daughter who owns this gift has not yet mastered it, not even close. But…" She trailed off, melodic voice slightly withdrawn, "I can make you a deal."_

_His eyebrows furrowed together, "What kind of a deal?" He said suspiciously._

_The woman sighed, "I'm on Selene's side, and Aria is my protected charge. I can not have her fall, especially when she has not yet fulfilled her purpose." Her clear blue eyes flashed, "I can give you the ability to control the empathetic gift enough to bring Hybris of the Guardians down, but in return, you must serve me vicariously through the Magna Mater of the Daughters, your mother."_

_The confusion Carlos felt had not yet disappeared, "Hybris?"_

"_Each of the Guardians have a true name, the spirit that is the source of their unnatural abilities." The figure explained, "But we don't have time for that now, Aria is in danger, and I need your allegiance to intervene."_

"_How will I know how to stop her?" He asked, still skeptic._

"_The answer will be apparent once you gain control," The woman said, now seeming rushed, "Please, make your decision."_

_He snorted, "It's not really much of a choice, is it?" He said, "I accept."_

_She nodded, seemingly pleased, "Good, I will leave you with my mark, to remind you of your oath."_

_Her finger tips touched the hollow of his collar, just above the heart, and he felt a slight burning sensation. With her touch, he felt this strange power coursing through him, and his eyes widened upon realization that the turmoil of his borrowed gifts had calmed, the empathetic abilities easy to maneuver and control. He gaped when he discovered what he needed to do._

"_The gift of Hybris will be its undoing," The woman said cryptically, "A suiting end for the malevolent spirit. Go, now, before it's too late."_

_Carlos could only nod numbly as he darted off to save Aria._

Carlos just shook his head, the strange confrontation floating through his mind, he turned and saw that Aria was still looking at him expectantly. He exhaled weightily, as soon as he had turned around, the woman had vanished completely. He himself wasn't entirely sure if what he had seen was real or just some strange type of illusion, as his control over Riley's powers had left him as soon as he had inflicted Agatha with the urge to attack herself. A dull, throbbing ache below his collar bone reminded him of the eerie lady's mark.

Absently, he tugged down the neck of his tank top, and his eyes widened.

Aria gasped, "When did you get _that_?" She wondered out loud.

There, ironically in the same place where the girls' amulets hung, was a tiny black marking. It depicted a small flame, and above it lay four differently shaped stars. "I…don't know." He muttered, still confused.

Aria stared at him for a moment, her amber eyes boring into the spot in the hollow of his throat, "Well, it's a…cool tattoo." She said quietly, incredibly confused at the expression of bewilderment on Carlos's face, as well as his own lack of knowledge regarding the image etched on his skin.

Carlos stared at it for a few heartbeats more, before the goofy grin returned to his face, "So I kicked ass, huh?" He chirped, the shocked emotion behind his eyes thinly veiled.

The healer scrutinized him for a moment more, knowing something wasn't settling quite right with the boy, but she decided that if he wanted to ignore it, she could as well, "_You _kicked ass? _I _was the one who did all the dirty work!" The moment the words were spoken, the serious quality of the situation seemed to evaporate.

Carlos scoffed, "But _I _brought the big bad leader down."

The healer just rolled her eyes, "It wasn't even your power!" She protested.

He pouted, "You used other powers too!" He countered.

"Ugh, shut up!"

A comfortable silence overcame the two as they sat there in the grass, relief filling both of them now that this hellish ordeal was seemingly over. Aria pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them and still resting her cheek on his shoulder. Carlos leaned back, supporting his weight on his arms. Aria smiled slightly as she observed Carlos out of the corner of her eyes, the boy had saved her for the second time that night. Carlos caught her smile and returned it with one of his own, and a sense of comfort and peace overcame her at that moment. For some reason, despite the fact that they had only known each other for less than six hours, there was a deep connection between the two. The type of bond that could only be instilled when two people both overcame ridiculous hardships.

It was quiet then, and Aria didn't tense when she noticed that Carlos had scooted closer over to her.

She knew that her mind should have been focused on a million other things. Concern over how to return the souls of her friends back, how to defeat the other members of the Seven before they attacked again, or even the guilt of all the lost life and pain that had been caused inadvertently by her. Yet she was almost shell-shocked, her mind taking the experience in stride at that moment as she exhaled happily, adrenaline wearing down and an odd sense of fulfillment taking over when she thought about how there was no pressing or immediate threat on the horizon. It was a time of reprieve.

"We should start getting home," Aria commented softly, tracing her fingers over the blades of grass as she stared at the ground.

"Yeah," Carlos said noncommittally, his eyes still trained on the girl. "Hey Aria?" He said, his voice a little shaky, almost awkward.

Aria, picking up on the tone, lifted her head and saw that his cheeks appeared slightly red, "Yes?"

"Can I kiss you?"

Her breathing stopped for a moment, shocked at how bluntly he had asked. She stared at him, and saw that he was dead serious. The silence ticked on, as she just stared him down. Carlos was on the brink of an outburst, the way she was unresponsive driving him crazy. Sighing, he opened his mouth to just tell her to forget it-

A quiet, but earnest, giggle came out of Aria's mouth, "Are you serious? After the hell I put you through?"

He pouted, "Well I wouldn't have asked if I thought you would-"

She shrugged, "Okay."

Now it was his turn to gape, "'Okay?' You could be a little more enthused." He complained.

"I just battled demons. I'm a little tired." She deadpanned.

He chuckled lightly, "I guess I should just take what I can get then," He mumbled, shifting his weight and quickly, before she could change her mind, pressed his lips to hers.

It took Aria a minute to even register that Carlos had made his move, but when she did, she kissed back expertly, surprised at the warm feeling it evoked in her stomach. She had been kissed before, a few awkward times in middle school, and once even by Ian, but this felt so much different than usual. There was something akin to a spark, and she found herself taking the initiative, her fingers curling around a fistful of his tank top. She felt his fingers thread through her curls, pushing her head forward gently. Her mouth parted slightly as she drew in a breath, and Carlos took that opportunity to meet her tongue with his, velvety and hot.

After a few more seconds, they both reluctantly pulled away, their lips still lingering together for an additional moment.

Both breathed heavily, and Carlos eyed her with a cocky smirk, stretching his arms and folding them behind his head, "So…how was it?"

Aria stared at him, and the sight of his arrogant grin just made her want to tease him. She rolled her shoulders, "Eh."

His smirk faded immediately, "Eh? Eh! What are you talking about?"

She fought desperately to control the laughter building in her throat, "I've had better."

For a moment he looked absolutely crestfallen, until he noticed the glint of mischievousness in her eyes. His lopsided grin returned, "I guess I'll just have to practice then."

Aria rolled her eyes at his implication, but was cut off as his mouth came crashing down on hers again, she resisted the urge to kiss back and playfully shoved him away, "You know, we're going to have to go back to Los Angeles eventually." She stated.

The playful mood between the two faded slightly, as Carlos gazed at her strongly, the implications of returned back to LA hitting him. He would have to face his mother, she her teammates, and the promise he had made to the ethereal figure hung in his mind. "I know." He said somberly.

Aria picked up on his melancholy mood instantly, and almost regretted her earlier statement. This brief rest from everything couldn't last forever, but while they had it, why rush things? "Ten minutes," She mumbled, her smile quirking up flirtatiously.

The surfer stared at her, mimicking the smile as he pressed her tightly against his side, "In ten minutes." He agreed quickly.

This time, Aria kissed him first.

It was nice to forget, sometimes.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

This chapter started out a little rough, but got easier for me to write as I returned to 'my groove'.

Lol **ShatteredDiamonds** _finally_ got her kiss scene ;) I get so embarrassed writing those, which I can admit, is silly.

Notes on relationships: I'm trying to do different approaches for each relationship in Night's Children: Imy and Art are the typical 'perfect' couple, Riley and Trysten were the awkward, too shy to do anything about it couple, and I'm striving to have Carlos and Aria seem like the couple that are also friends. I'm sorry if it comes off a bit weird ;-;

_Up Next: _With the battle against Hades's Guardians finally over, Aria and Chuck make their way back home, where everything seems to fall back into place. However, things aren't going to be easy for the pair. Aria is met with difficulties when she is faced with the most tremendous of monsters: her own guilt, and Carlos faces not only his mother, but also the realization of the deal he made. _Penance, Part Two_ is next.

!nym!


	13. Penance, Part Two

_Night's Children: Cetera Desunt_

**AN: **Unedited, sorry I was too excited to get it out. If the grammar/spelling is blaringly bad, I'll take it out and switch it later : D

**Chapter Twelve: Penance, Part Two**

_Say hello, to everything you've left behind. It's even more a part of your life now that you can touch it. -A Perfect Circle, The Nurse Who Loved Me_

Aria couldn't help the violent tremors that wracked her body as she stood outside of the Los Angeles hospital that held the four bodies of the invalid goddesses. Despite everything that had occurred that night, the old feelings of resentment and terror were easily resurfacing as she looked at that cold and unforgiving entryway. A warm hand rested on the small of her back, and her gaze shot up to meet Carlos's, who gave her a reassuring smile. She tried, and failed, to reciprocate the action, before facing forward again.

The return back to Los Angeles had taken surprisingly little effort and time, after they had finally managed to pry themselves away from each other. Aria had concentrated almost the last of Imy's energy into teleporting the duo towards her hometown. After teleporting a block away from the hospital, Aria still wasn't perfect with her landings, the two began walking in silence, a sense of easy comfort between them now.

They had been standing in front of the hospital for the better part of ten minutes, as Aria frantically summoned up enough courage to enter.

"I don't know if I can do this," She whispered to herself, drawing out the cards that held Tessa, Imy, Riley, and Jimena's spirits and scrutinizing them for about the thousandth time.

Carlos laughed, and Aria felt some of her tension dissolve at his easily infectious, carefree attitude, "Aria, we just fought Guardians from-"

She sighed, "It's not that…it's just," Her grip on the cards tightened, "I haven't been the best Daughter of the Moon." She said softly, staring at him and hoping he would understand, "I _abandoned _them, because I was a coward." She winced, "Because I was selfish."

Her counterpart stared at her for a few seconds, and she winced, preparing for the condemnation and judgment. What surprised her the most, was when his response was a simple shrug, "So what? You're here now, aren't you?"

Her amber eyes widened, "You don't understand-"

"Sure I do," He said, cutting her off, his eyes and stance taking on the more intense stature that he must have inherited from his mother, "You were scared, you wanted a normal life, so you bolted, am I right?"

A hesitant nod.

"But you came back," He trailed off, the hand on her back sliding down and he interlaced his fingers with hers, "You could have just kept running, Aria, but you chose to come back and to help them." Carlos squeezed her hand, "Like you decided to heal those people on the train at the risk of blowing your cover."

Aria worried her lower lip between her teeth, "They were only injured because I wasn't honest in the first place…"

Carlos, apparently having enough, squared around, placing his heavy hands on each of her slim shoulders and forcing her to maintain eye contact, "Aria, people screw up." He said calmly, "It's human nature. What really matters is, come crunch time, you decide to do the right thing." His intense stare was compelling, "You accepted your own responsibilities, Aria, and now you want to make amends. What's so wrong about that?"

She wanted to forget her transgressions, to see the situation as plainly as Carlos did, but it wasn't so simple, "This is all my fault."

Carlos exhaled, annoyed that she was missing his entire point, "Yeah, so?"

Aria balked, "What do you mean 'so'?"

"So what are you going to do about it?" The surfer stated, releasing his grip, "You've got two options, from my point of things. You can either continue to wallow in your own fear, or you can try and fix your mistakes now, and worry about the consequences later. What's it going to be?"

Aria gazed at him for a few moments, taking in his sudden conviction. She sighed slowly, as she tilted her head up to look at the night sky. It amazed her how Carlos had taken an issue that had been raging inside her mind and causing a severe amount of mental anguish, and summed it up in elementary language. It really was that easy, in a way, wasn't it? Rule the fear, or let the fear rule herself. Her thoughts drifted back towards the meeting with the lady in white.

_Aut disce aut discede, aude sapere. _Either learn or leave, but dare to know.

This instance was Aria's true crossroads, and she felt like a blindfolded two year old being led along a path. The 'daring to know' part had truly been accomplished that night with her fight against the six Guardians, but now was the decision. Learn, or leave?

As her musings drifted backwards throughout the events that had transpired, she realized it wasn't that difficult of a choice to being with.

"How do you do that?" She muttered somberly at last.

He shot her a confused glance, "Do what?"

"Make me feel like such an idiot?"

He chuckled a bit, "It's inherent to my nature, I guess." He smirked, "If it makes you feel any better, it's a two way street."

She gave a grim smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, "I guess, it's now or never, right?"

He flashed a cheeky grin, "That's a much better attitude!" He chirped, his intense characteristics melting away to be replaced by his more carefree persona.

Aria nodded, and slowly, she entered the hospital, Carlos following quickly behind her.

The pair walked in through the automatic doors of the ER unit. As soon as the smell of antiseptic and bleach that seemed to cling to all hospitals hit her nostrils, Aria was immediately reminded of how much she hated this place. It was almost ironic, the healer holding so much contempt for the aura of a hospital. The sterile feel washed over her as she walked slowly through the polished hallways, Carlos right beside her and slightly tense.

The receptionist, an overweight man wearing floral printed scrubs in his mid forties, gave them a rather scrutinizing glare as they approached, "Can I help you with anything?" He asked pointedly, immediately distrustful when taking in their haggard appearances.

Aria silently shook her head.

"Visiting hours are over," He said pointedly, flicking at the watch on his wrist to emphasize.

The Daughter of the Moon could feel a bit of rage overcoming her. She did not just battle supernatural foes, get shot at, strangled, beaten bloody, acquire stolen powers, and _teleport _from halfway to Portland to be stopped by a _receptionist _of all things. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Carlos cut her off.

"Our mom's been in surgery," He said, injecting the proper amount of sorrow into his voice as he lowered his head, "Sis just wanted to get something to drink out of the vending machine, so she could take her medication for the illness." He lied smoothly, dropping his voice a note, "It's degenerative, if she doesn't get her pills on time-"

The floral man continued to glare at them, until a tiny flicker of gray aura passed over his eyes. Immediately, there was a more sympathetic sentiment about him, "Well, just make sure you stay in the waiting area from now on," He said, turning back to the mountain of paperwork on his desk.

The two began to walk again, and as soon as Aria was sure they were out of earshot, she said, "You realize that when this is all said and done, I'm getting my revenge for the whole my needing to be on medication bit."

A goofy smirk crossed his face, "Hey, no worries."

Aria sent him a inquisitive glance, "How did you get so good at controlling Riley's powers?"

He shrugged, "We've been on better terms since the mystery lady showed up."

Aria's footsteps came to a halt as she stood outside of a recovery room, her eyes trained on the slip of construction paper that had 'Ormond, Imy V.' scrawled on it with green magic marker under the room number. Carlos followed her gaze and exhaled slightly, his hand encircling the door knob as he slowly turned it open.

"Ready?" He asked tentatively.

Aria gave a slow, but sure, nod, "Yeah."

The room was eerily quiet as they entered, the sound of their footfalls making a hollow sound as they approached a curtained off area, hiding Imy's hospital bed. Aria took a deep breath, to steady herself, and she gingerly pulled back the yellow shade. The first thing that caught her eyes were a stuffed bunny with a 'Get Well Soon' card attached to it, most likely from Art due to the messy scribbles, and a vase full of brightly colored flowers, carnations for the most part with some yarrow buds, sitting on the windowsill, obviously from her parents.

Her eyes then focused on the brunette teleporter, and a tremor of anxiety overcame her for a moment. The spunky fifteen year old was deathly pale, a few abrasions and some discoloration apparent on her sleeping face. There was a distinctly dark aura hanging around her, and Aria now knew the source of it. Exhaling slightly, she withdrew The Star card from the deck in her capri pockets, and stared at it. The illustration of Imy was still holding the 'V for Victory' sign, along with the cheeky grin, and Aria took this as a good omen.

She slowly angled her head to look at Carlos, who was staring at Imy with awe, obviously feeling the darkness that encircled her, "Keep look out, okay?" She requested softly.

Prying his eyes away from the comatose girl, he nodded solemnly and turned around, waiting to see if anyone approached the area.

The healer inhaled deeply, calming herself down and focusing on withdrawing Imy's borrowed powers from her, entwining a bit of her own healing energies with it. Around her hands, still grasping the tarot card, there was a mixture of white and sky blue haze, twirling around in a rather beautiful spectacle. Biting her lower lip, she spread her hands over Imy's injured body, and attempted to purify her from the darkness.

For a few moments, nothing happened, and Aria began to fear for the worst. What if that wasn't how to remove the spell? What if it was too late?

But suddenly, a violent tugging sensation occurred, and the auras around Aria's hands disappeared instantly. The second this happened, Imy's eyes snapped open and she inhaled sharply, coughing slightly.

Aria, startled, backed away quickly, her arms raised to protect herself. When she saw Imy's hacking fit abate, she carefully lowered her guard, "Imy?" She ventured cautiously.

The brunette coughed one last time, before her ochre colored eyes rolled up to look at her, "Hey," She muttered weakly, a tiny grin crawling up her face, "Long time no see, huh?" She whispered, licking her chapped lips.

Aria could feel herself on the brink of hysterics, immense relief filling through her. But she composed herself, "It's only been a day."

"Really?" Imy's voice was strained, and raspy, "Felt like so much longer." She blinked, before realizing something strange, "Why is there some hunky man guard outside? Or am I just seeing things?"

Aria followed her gaze, directed at Carlos, who had just turned around. She laughed lightly, "He's with me." She said softly.

Imy's eyebrow rose, "Nicely done." She commented.

The curly haired goddess rolled her eyes, "Only you would say something like that on your deathbed."

Carlos chose that moment to speak up, "Hey," He said brilliantly, "I'm Carlos Killingsworth."

Imy's eyes widened a fraction of a centimeter, "Carlos Killingsworth? As in-?"

Aria nodded, "The one and only."

The teleporter stared at her in shock, then at Carlos, before sliding shut her eyes, "I can't handle this right now," She whispered jokingly, "I'm just going to sleep this off and hopefully awake when all the craziness is gone."

The healer stared at her, watching how exhaustion won over the teleporter and she fell into a deep sleep in a matter of minutes. In a brief curiosity, she glanced down at The Star, the illustration now totally wiped away from it to reveal a blank card. Smiling slightly, she turned around and headed out of the room, Carlos hanging back for a second before following after her.

"So who's next?" Carlos ventured, staring at Aria, her obviously happy mood getting the best of him as well.

Aria's tiny grin faltered somewhat as she gestured to the room across the hall, "Riley." She said, a foreboding feeling overfilling her as she remembered the empath's condition when she had bolted from the hospital.

Carlos seemed to notice the uneasiness about her, "Is she the worst?"

She shrugged, trying to dispel her uneasiness through a nonchalant front, "She was more heavily injured than Imy, but I don't know about Tessa and Jimena's conditions." She felt a tiny surge of pity when Carlos tensed during his mother's name. She reached over and gave his had a reassuring squeeze, much like he had done for her many times that night, "She'll be fine. Jimena's the strongest person I know." She whispered, sincerity dripping from every word.

He gave a firm nod, and opened the door to Riley's room, "Three to go," He said calmly, obviously just as good at covering up his real feelings as Aria.

With great trepidation, Aria stepped through the doorway. She paused for a few seconds before venturing towards Riley's bedside in order to collect her bearings. After a few deep breaths, a huge feeling of accomplishment passed through her as there seemed to be no signs of a blackout like the last time she had come.

Both the teens inched over to Riley's bed. Similar to Imy's room, the first thing that drew Aria's attention were the articles placed delicately on the small table next to the slumbering goddess. The first didn't take her by much surprise, as she recalled Jimena and Tessa's earlier conversation on it, but she was still a little shocked to see the once silver amulet of Selene lying there. The silver pendant reflected the moonlight shining in from between the cracks of the blinds, and Aria silently pondered on how much she and Riley now had in common. Both had inadvertently screwed up during their individual tests, but both were on the way towards recovery.

Her eyes widened slightly in wonder when she saw what lay gingerly next to the necklace. It was a simple bouquet, only holding two different flowers, a phlox spring and an aconite blossom, both white. Puzzlement filled her when she wondered who would send Riley flowers, but she shook it off when her eyes were finally trained on the injured girl.

Riley outwardly showed no signs of improvement from yesterday. Her pale skin was downright ghastly, and the yellowing of the bruises around her face seemed ultimately worse off than they were, as they had swelled even further. The darkness that had surrounded her also seemed to have intensified.

Aria slowly shook her head to clear away her concern as she turned to Carlos, "Do you have Riley's card?"

"She got the shit kicked out of her," He said flatly, not acknowledging the question as he stared at the maroon haired girl's battered form, "It almost makes me feel lucky, after everything that happened tonight." He whispered, shaking his head.

Aria completely sympathized, recalling the battle with Mammon, had it really only been two nights ago? She exhaled slowly, "Let's fix her then," She said calmly, "I need you to hold out her card."

Carlos, realizing that he was holding up the process by gawking at the invalid goddess, quickly fished in the pockets of his shorts, drawing out The Hermit. He held it out to her, "Here." He grunted.

"I don't think it will work like that," She said, grasping his other hand, "Since you hold her power, I think that you need to work with me in order to return it."

He sent her a baffled look, "I don't know how-"

"It's okay, just do what I did," She said confidently, "Hold out your hand," With this she outstretched her free hand over Riley's prone form. After a millisecond's hesitation, Carlos did the same, The Hermit card hovering over. "Alright, then concentrate on her empathy, try to…um…shove it out."

He rose an eyebrow, "Shove?"

She snorted, frustrated, "It's what it feels like."

Noticing that this wasn't exactly a joking matter, he sighed and closed his eyes, his face screwing up in an intense concentration. "Working?"

Aria scrutinized him for a few moments, and sure enough, a thin gray aura was creeping out of Carlos, heading straight for the card. "Yes, I'm going to add my healing powers to it now." She explained so he wouldn't be shocked. Her own eyes fluttered shut and her sky blue field went and accumulated around her outstretched hand.

Seconds passed, both of the teens holding their hands over Riley, before the gray and blue began to entwine, hovering for a short time before the same tugging sensation took place.

Immediately, Aria and Carlos's eyes snapped open and they took a cautionary step away from the bed's edge.

Soon, the same coughing and sputtering routine was repeated as Riley's back arched and she gave a strangled cry of pain. Carlos gaped, glassy eyed, while Aria tensed, ready to help if it was required.

Finally, Riley's body settled, and she lay serenely. The two teenagers stared at her, waiting for a movement of life.

After almost five whole minutes, one of Riley's eyes, the one that wasn't swollen shut, cracked open. A single gray eye stared straight through Aria, and she felt herself tense up. Another few minutes passed and Aria felt more unease.

"Hello," Riley finally said, her voice quiet and strained.

Aria tried to muster a comforting smile, "Hi." She greeted softly.

The empath continued to stare at her for a few more moments before she seemed to nod, "You did good." She whispered, her normally emotionless tone portraying her respect.

Aria flushed a bit, "Thanks."

Riley gave another nod, her movements obviously labored, and her eyelid shut, a deep breathing following after it, indicating she too had fallen into slumber. Silence continued as Aria gazed at the empathetic girl, inwardly pledging that once her healing skills were fully recharged, Riley would be the first one she'd restore completely.

Finally, Carlos spoke, "Is she going to be alright?"

Aria grinned slightly, "Yes, we're all going to be alright."

OoO

Locating Tessa's room had taken slightly more effort for the pair as they began to saunter down the halls of the hospital's intensive care unit. They settled for the rather lengthy process of checking the names of the patients on each of the door markers, dodging watchmen and night shift doctors carefully. After what seemed like ages, but was in reality only twenty or so minutes, it was Carlos who finally spotted the name 'Lockland, Tessa I.' on the outside of the door.

Tessa's room was relatively bare, having only been admitted into the building a few hours ago, and all that appeared there was a rather large candy bar at the side of the bed, likely left by her older brother and guardian Ezra.

Tessa was a little better off than Riley had been, her normally pristine blonde hair matted and tangled, tanned skin bruised or bandaged, and a cast was plastered over her right arm. The illusionist had obviously received a harsh beating from Kiriak, and Aria shuddered when she thought of what her fellow goddess had gone through.

Deciding to make the process quick, as the sun was beginning to peak up over the horizon and her strength was ebbing now that the borrowed powers were disappearing, Aria drew out The Magician and repeated the same moves she had on Imy and Riley.

The golden aura of Tessa was the most unstable of the four, symbolic of how the girl had yet to fully control her abilities, but Aria grit her teeth and forced the lively force to submit. After a rather intense mental battle, the healer finally got the illusionist powers to cooperate, sending them out with a bit of her own energy.

The end results were the same, as the borrowed gift was leeched away from Aria and sent to Tessa, and the girl awoke with the most violent upstart of the three. She shot up into a sitting position, and immediately sent her encased fist flying into the closest thing to her.

Which happened to be Carlos.

Her punch connected with the side of his jaw, and his head snapped back, causing him to loose his balance and land on his ass rather hard. "Damn!" He swore, "What the hell was that for?"

Aria just stood there awkwardly, torn between checking on Tessa, checking on Carlos, or falling into a fit of hysterical laughter as sanity seemed to leave her without so much as a goodbye note.

Tessa sat there, panting heavily, until she blinked slowly, as her environment began to process in her mind. "Where…am I?" She asked, wincing slightly as her hand started to throb.

"The hospital," Aria said gently, turning to Carlos and helping him gingerly to his feet. He sent Tessa a rather intense glare as he rubbed his now sore chin.

The blonde's eyes widened, "Aria?" She fell silent as her memories flooded back into her, including the fight in the alleyway, "What the hell is going on?" The blue eyes widened even more, if that were possible, "Holy shit." She finally settled on, "You actually showed."

A blush of shame graced the healer's cheeks as she rubbed the back of her neck self consciously, "Yeah, I did."

Tessa gazed at her for a moment, then shifted her attention to Carlos, "Who's this?"

"Jimena's son."

"Damn."

"That's what I thought at first."

The illusionist tilted her head apologetically, "I'm sorry I punched you."

The surfer's glare increased for a second, before he exhaled and gave a goofy grin when sensing her earnest, "No worries. Just don't do it again, I happen to like my teeth."

Tessa gave a smug smirk before turning to Aria, "Are the others-?" She let it hang in the air.

Aria nodded curtly, "All except Jimena."

A brief gasp escaped from her, "What do you mean, 'All except Jimena'?"

"They got to her too," Came Carlos, holding up The High Priestess card, "Apparently she was the last one they went after."

Tessa absorbed this before saying contemplatively, "Then why the hell are you still in here with me?" She probed.

Aria slowly blinked, "Just making sure you're alright-"

"Well I'm fine enough to deliver a right hook to the bum-"

"I am not a bum, why do people keep saying that tonight?" Carlos protested.

"-So you better go heal our mentor," Tessa finished.

The healing goddess nodded, resolved, "Get some rest, once everyone's completely recovered, you're not going to believe the story I have to tell."

Tessa lay back gently, readjusting her pillows, "I'll bet, if it dragged your ass back here."

Aria felt the retort to the rather crass comment die on her tongue when she saw the mixture of humor and gratitude in the girl's blue eyes. Flustered, and at a loss for something to say, she settled for giving a weak wave. Carlos took that as a sign to leave and went out into the hall, Aria about to follow him when she heard Tessa mumble.

"He's kind of cute, with a nice butt," The illusionist said off handedly before attempting to drift off into sleep.

Aria gaped, before deciding that Riley was the only sane one of the four, as she was the only girl to withhold a comment about Carlos's attractiveness after a life-threatening ordeal.

OoO

The hesitation was almost palpable in the air around Carlos when the pair finally reached the door which neatly read 'Castillo, Jimena A.'. The surfer was even visibly shaking, as the nerves overtook the boy who would be seeing his mother for the first time in many months.

"Are you okay?" Aria questioned gently, resting an arm on his bicep.

He looked down at her, his eyes betraying his calm voice when he smoothly said, "Yeah, no fear, am I right?"

Aria looked at him with concern, "We can wait, until you feel better-"

"No, let's go," Carlos said resolutely, apparently ashamed of his cowardice as he cut her off and reached for the door knob. His tanned hand clasped around it before tentatively turning it and pressing it open.

It was completely dark within the hospital room, a thick shade pulled down over the window that would show the rising Los Angeles sun. Warily, Carlos took a few steps forward towards a still form lying on a hospital bed across from the entrance. Aria went after him, staying close.

Both gave out frightened gasps when out from the silence, a gruff voice emerged, "What are you doing here?"

Aria barely had time to register what was happening when she felt a heavy hand clutch her shoulder from behind.

**OoO**

Oh my! Another chapter down, huzzah! Sorry about the cliffhanger, I'm unfortunately addicted to writing them as endings for chapters : (

**Notes:**

The flowers that were placed in each of the rooms have little meanings that I thought would be fun:

_Carnations: _depending on the color, they symbolize different sorts of love. We'll be going with pink and yellow, which stand for a close love, such as family or good friends.

_Yarrow: _Yarrow is a white flower which stands for healing or recovery and is traditionally used in most get well bouquets

_Phlox: _Are little white blossoms that symbolize souls being united, soul mates, that sort of thing.

_Aconite: _Is also called Monkshood and stands for "Beware" or "An enemy is near"

Also, I am not sure what Jimena's middle name would be, so I put an A for Artemis, her protector goddess : )

**Up Next: **Who's the weirdo attacking Aria? What will happen now that the Daughters of the Moon are back in action? Who was the mysterious lady in white? Also, Carlos's deal is REALLY explained this time, as is a hidden component to Aria's powers in the second to last chapter, _Purification._

See ya!

!nym!


	14. Purification

_Night's Children: Cetera Desunt_

_AN: _Yes! My second favorite character to write is back in the game! Pa-pow!

Alright, so two questions for the readers:

First, do you guys want a little preview/epilogue thing like I did at the end of _Nox Noctis?_

And

Would anyone be terribly depressed if Tessa didn't get her own book after Imy's? I've tried and I just can't think of a plot for it, plus I've been wanting to write the story for Riley's next one since I started the series three and a half years ago. ::pouts::

**Chapter Thirteen: Purification**

Quickly, Aria whirled her head around and felt herself let loose a slow breath of relief when she recognized the features. Graying sandy blond hair, bloodshot blue eyes, a nose too large for its face, and a glare that could make any sane person cry.

"Jacobson!" She exclaimed, somewhat in disbelief, "What are you doing here?"

Carlos was at her side immediately, his fists raised up and ready to strike, "Who is this guy?" He demanded, "And should I punch him?"

Aria shot Carlos an incredulous look, "No, you shouldn't punch a cop."

The surfer's face paled, "Cop?" He squeaked.

Gordon straightened his hunched shoulders slightly and turned to face Aria, "Can you tell me what the hell's been going on, and where you've been?" He growled.

Her eyes widened, "How do you know-?"

The detective sent her a level look, "You think people don't report teenagers getting beat up in alleyways? Please tell me you're not that naïve, curly, or I'm going to have serious doubts about your ability to save the world." His eyes flickered towards her side, staring at Carlos, "Who's this bu-?"

"I swear, if you're going to say bum I might just punch you anyway," Carlos said under his breath.

"-Punk?" Corrected Gordon half-sentence.

Aria gave a dry swallow, "This is Carlos, Jimena's son."

The cop seemed to momentarily stop breathing, "You're shitting me," He said coarsely, evaluating the kid, searching for physical similarities between the boy and the ex gangster.

Carlos, beginning to look severely uncomfortable, settled for a strained smile, "Hi there."

Gordon's mouth continued to hang open slightly, before he shook his head, his attention pinpointing back on Aria, "Can you tell me what the hell is going on? Why is everyone, aside from you, beaten and in comas?"

Aria sighed and ran a hand through her curly mane of hair, "It's an incredibly long story."

"Wait, who is this guy?" Carlos cut in, pointing a finger, "And why is he in my mom's room?"

Aria's eyebrows arched when the question dawned upon her as well, "Yeah, why exactly are you in Jimena's room?" She asked, genuinely confused.

Gordon snorted, "I checked on all the rooms that you little freaks were admitted into, had to make sure nothing unusual was happening." He paused, "Well, nothing more unusual than normal, that is."

Her eyes narrowed, "Then why are you here so late?"

He glared at her and she felt herself shrink back a bit, "It just so happens I get off my shift at about three in the morning, and I had to come in to disconnect the security cameras when there were less staff members working." He said, pointing up towards a corner of the room. Two sets of eyes followed it, to see a tiny black video camera, the red light dead.

Horror fell upon Aria as she realized that neither her nor Carlos had thought to kill the cameras, "Did you-!?"

The middle aged man gave a rather undignified roll of his eyes, "Like I said, I went to _all _the rooms." His belittling glare returned, "You've got to start using your head, little girl, you and Zalank almost busted yourselves when you healed that Towlen kid a few months ago." His mouth twitched into a frown, "Goddamn kids, you're all lucky I'm here to cover your sorry asses."

Carlos gaped at him, "Who are you again?"

Gordon turned to him, looking oddly enough like a reproachful principal who caught kids ditching class, "My name is _Officer _Jacobson, and I don't give a flying crap if you are Jimena's kid, you will respect me."

Aria couldn't stop the giggle that spewed out of her mouth as she frantically tried to stifle it with her hand. Gordon sneered at her, but the damage was already done, and Carlos seemed to relax a bit in the intimidating man's presence.

"So what happened?" Gordon asked again, "I remember Zalank and Ormond being down, but Lockland and Castillo?"

Aria exhaled slowly, "It's been a rather crazy few days," She explained lamely.

Gordon crossed his arms and dribbled his fingers against the fabric of his jacket sleeves, "Oh, enlighten me." He said deadpan.

The healing goddess's eyes drifted over towards where her mentor lay, "Later, right now I have to restore my Magna Mater's soul," She said, almost flippant.

"Naturally," Grunted Gordon cynically.

Aria turned to Carlos, seeing him tense up again, "Are you ready?" She repeated for the second time that night.

He shook his head slowly to clear his thoughts, "Yeah, let's do it." He voice held a slight quake, but was resolved enough.

She smiled and grabbed his hand, interlacing her fingers with his, "Let's go then."

The pair sauntered over to the mentor's bedside, Gordon trailing along behind them suspiciously, still not grasping the situation. Aria and Carlos both gave a happy sigh when they saw Jimena. Her outward appearance was perfectly normal, not even a hair out of place. However, the dark aura surrounded her as well, and the two teenagers knew what they had to do.

"You start first," Aria instructed gently.

Carlos nodded and withdrew The High Priestess card, his eyes sliding shut as he concentrated. After a few beats, a crimson aura began to radiate from him. Taking her cue, Aria focused on her own powers, outstretching the hand not holding Carlos's over Jimena's comatose form. Carlos followed her lead and did the exact same thing, and soon enough vermillion joined periwinkle, as the two energies combined. Gordon's eyes widened at the spectacle and he gave a low whistle.

"Neat." He commented dryly.

The procedure went quick, and almost immediately the auras vanished, when Jimena lurched upwards as she coughed violently. The precog's dark hair flew around her, obscuring her face as she took a few deep breaths. Aria and Carlos stood there silently, both feeling slightly ashamed and too afraid to be the first ones to address the mentor of the Daughters of the Moon.

Thankfully, Gordon had no sense of tact whatsoever, "What the hell was that?" He demanded loudly.

"Gordon, use your inside voice." Came Jimena, her tone only slightly raspy and on the whole much better off than the other girls', she lifted her head, meeting Aria's stare directly, "_Gracias._" She muttered.

Aria began to stammer, "The healing was no big deal, I mean it was my fault you were injured in the first place, and I-"

"Not for returning my spirit, thank you for getting your head out of your ass." She corrected bluntly.

The healing goddess's eyes bulged out for a moment, shocked at her mentor's word choice. "You're…welcome?" She supplied softly, confused.

"You finally understand your duty?" She said, her tone somewhat frigid as her stare seemed to pierce right through her.

Feeling foolish, she nodded somberly, "I'm sorry for doubting everyone, and for running away."

A smile broke out on the ex goddess's face, and Aria's breath caught in her throat, "That's good, I'm glad you've finally accepted your destiny." The words were much warmer and friendlier now, and Aria knew then that the Magna Mater had forgiven her for her shortcomings.

"T-t-thank you," She sputtered out, amazed at her good fortune.

Jimena nodded slightly, "You're welcome. We'll have to talk about it more later, but for now, just don't do it again."

Aria's fist clenched at her side, and she said with a firm resolve, "I won't."

It was then that Jimena realized there was another person standing next to the Daughter of the Moon, and carefully, Jimena's head turned to see. "…Carlos?" She proclaimed, somewhat in disbelief.

Her son scratched the back of his neck, his cheeks bright red, "Hi, mom." He said finally.

The two family members eyed each other for a few moments, and Aria could hear her heartbeat slow down as she awaited the outcome of this estranged reunion. No one was saying anything, the son was beginning to fidget while the mother continued to scrutinize the boy in an almost frosty manner. Even Gordon, insensitive man of wonder, seemed to be unnerved by the silent confrontation as he coughed awkwardly into his hand.

Just when Aria was about to begin tearing her hair out by its roots, Jimena made the first move.

"Carlos!" She exclaimed in a tone far unlike the one Aria was used to hearing, as she threw her arms around him happily for a hug, "What are you doing here?"

Everyone seemed to finally exhale then, the tension dissolved instantaneously.

"Just stopping by," Carlos said demurely, still hesitant as he hugged his mother back.

Aria watched the scene unfold, and a feeling of elation overcame her. Everything was starting to fall back into place, and Jimena was finally able to see her son. It was almost perfect, excluding all of the near-death instances of course. Her gaze jerked to the side when she felt something pulling on her elbow. Turning, she met Gordon's gaze, a softness in his features that normally wasn't present.

"Let's give them a few moments," He whispered, gesturing to Jimena and Carlos, "If Castillo's anything like me, she's been waiting for this for a long time."

Aria reevaluated the two before realizing that she was possibly invading on something private, slowly she nodded, and allowed Gordon to steer her towards the door. Looking over her shoulder, she gave Carlos one last reassuring smile, he mimicked it as he stared at her from out of the corner of his eyes.

Once the two were outside, Gordon immediately turned on the offensive, his posture reminding Aria of a pit bull, "Why is Jimena's son here? Where have you been? And for the last time, what the hell happened?"

Aria sighed and slumped down to the floor, patting the ground next to her, "You may want to take a seat, Jacobson, this is going to take awhile.

OoO

Reluctantly, Jimena pulled away and faced her son, "Carlos, why are you here?"

The boy gave her a grin that brought a bought of nostalgia upon her, for it was so similar to that of his father's, "What? Didn't you miss me?" He muttered.

The mentor of the goddesses could feel something out of place, something had changed about her son, that much was certain. For instance, the boy now held a slight aura, purple in hue, and there was a thrum of old power that surrounded him.

Sighing slightly and fearing the worst, she cleared her throat, "Carlos." She said, her tone vaguely reproachful.

He groaned and blew out some stray pieces of hair from his face, "We need to talk." He said flatly.

Jimena nodded and glanced at the seat next to her bedside. Taking the prompt, Carlos sat down and inhaled deeply.

"I know about the war," He said bluntly, "And I know that you're something called the Magna Mater."

The precog smiled sadly, looking at her clasped hands, "I knew I couldn't hide it from you forever," She spoke softly, "But Collin thought that maybe, if you-"

Her son cut her off, "Dad knows about this!?" He demanded, shocked.

The smile fell a little, "Why do you think we got divorced?" She stated plainly, finally getting to tell the truth to him.

Carlos leaned backed in his chair, blinking slowly as he processed this crucial information. "What else are you hiding from me? Any siblings I don't know about?"

Jimena's eyes widened and she almost laughed at the bizarre situation, "Actually, you have a foster sister-"

He immediately silenced her by throwing his hands up, "No more strange family secrets tonight." He paused, "Why didn't you ever tell me?" He finally asked, sounding somewhat hurt and betrayed.

The Magna Mater shook her head, "A part of me wanted to, but a bigger part thought that you'd be better off never knowing," She met her son's stare, "You have to understand Carlos, your father and I thought we were protecting you from danger."

"By lying to me?"

"By keeping you away from me," Jimena corrected, bitterness laced in her words.

Carlos's jaw dropped, "How can you say that? You're my _mom_!"

Now that the truth had been opened, the secrets just kept pouring, "I'm not the person you think I am, Carlos. I've done some terrible things in my past, and I've hurt those I care the most about." Jimena's fingers twisted her bed sheet, "And I've seen my loved ones killed before my eyes."

The boy paled, not accustomed to seeing his mother like this. He stared at her, contemplative. It wasn't everyday a teenager found out that his parents had spilt due to otherworldly influences, and that his mother was some sort of leader in a timeless battle against evil. Jimena appeared calm, but Carlos could see the inner turmoil play across her eyes as she stared dejectedly at her hands. It was then that Carlos realized that his mom was terrified of _his _rejection, and that he was foolish to be the one afraid of her. She was vulnerable, a side Carlos had never seen to her.

He licked his lips and mustered up enough courage to say what he needed to, "I don't care." He proclaimed flatly, no room for doubt.

The middle aged woman's head snapped up and she gaped at him in bewilderment, "What?" She demanded, shocked at his response.

Carlos stood up, and repeated calmly, "I don't care. It doesn't matter about what happened, and it doesn't even mattered that you lied to me." He watched as his mom continued to stare at him blankly, "I want to help you."

At those five words, the ex goddess tensed, "Carlos, you don't know what you're talking about!" She declared vehemently, "You don't know what you're saying-"

"I know exactly what I'm saying," He interrupted, and he dropped the intimidating edge to his tone, "I met Aria tonight, on a train heading to Portland. She told me all about you and the others." There, he had confessed it.

"It's not the Daughters that I'm worried about, Carlos, there are far greater evils out there-" Jimena tried to clarify, only to be cut off again.

"I know. I…" Carlos tensed as an unwarranted shame came upon him, as his mind backtracked to the confrontation with the six Guardians, as well as shooting Kiriak, "Fought some bad people, mom."

Her eyebrows furrowed, "What do you mean?"

"There were these robbers, they called themselves the Guardians, they wanted to hurt Aria, so I fought them." He explained pathetically, lowering his head, "I killed two."

Jimena's breath caught in her throat as the implications hit her. Her glance lifted to stare at her only child, a child that now held bloodstained hands, "You…"

"I killed them," Carlos reaffirmed, his voice picking up some intensity, "And while a small part of me feels guilty, I don't regret doing it."

She paled, "Carlos-!"

"They were going to kill us, mom, if we didn't do it first," He shook his head, "And they were harming innocent passengers as well."

Jimena continued to gape in horror at her son, and she didn't know which was worse. The fact that her little boy had murdered people, or that she understood his reasoning behind it. This was huge, and she could feel a sickness overcome her, for after everything she had sacrificed to keep him safe and naive, Fate was coming back with a vengeance. She trembled a bit as she tried to gather her wits. She knew about the Guardians, a little hard not to know of them when she had been attacked, and she also knew that they didn't exactly qualify as people. While the thought sickened her, as she felt it was some form of a cheap cop out, the logical side of her prevailed, for the Guardians were only vengeful spirits sent out by Hades, who took on the characteristics of humans. Destroying one of them was akin to destroying a shade, there was honestly no life to begin with. Yet that didn't totally win over sentimentality, as her mind replayed back about twenty years, when Veto had been sent back to Hell right before her eyes.

She cleared her throat, knowing what she had to do. While inwardly she was tormented, her duty came before everything else. That was the way that it was, and that was the way it would always be. The Guardians had singled out Aria, and that only meant one thing. Aria was the protected goddess of Eileithyia, and her own responsibility had been assigned that night.

Staring at her son levelly, she pushed aside the feelings of horror and commenced with what needed to be done, "I need to talk to you and Aria."

Carlos was rather unnerved with how calmly his mother had said that statement after his confession, and he agitatedly stood from his seat, "Okay," He muttered, standing up and going towards the door to fetch the healer.

"Carlos," Jimena called out after him.

He paused and turned around, "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry," She whispered.

Carlos, noticing the pained expression on her face despite her collected tone, tried to give a hopefully convincing smile, "Nothing to be sorry about."

Jimena's response was to only shake her head.

Uncomfortable with the tense atmosphere, he immediately flung open the door. The sight that he was met with was almost comical, as Aria was frustratingly attempting to explain something to Gordon, who looked perplexed and skeptical.

"How can someone's _soul _be put into a _card?_" The cop grunted, glaring at the deck Aria held in her hands.

"I don't know how else to explain it!" She replied, flustered, "There's this aura-"

"The weird fog shit?" He spoke poetically.

"Yes, the 'weird fog shit'," Aria sighed, "And it's able to-" Her statement trailed off when she noticed that there was a second listener, "Carlos!" She proclaimed, standing up quickly and brushing herself off, "What's wrong?"

Gordon stood as well, crossing his arms in front of his chest, his face set in a permanent glower.

He stared at her and decided that whatever the hell was coming would be worth it in the end, "Mom wants to talk to both of us." He stated.

"What about me?" Gordon interjected.

Carlos shrugged.

"What the hell kind of answer is that!" The cop snapped.

Aria gave a wane half-smile, "You'll just invite yourself in anyways, Jacobson, we all know that." She faced Carlos and let out a deep breath, "Let's get this over with, huh?"

He nodded and held the door open for her. After a few seconds, he turned to Gordon, "You coming too?"

Gordon stood there for a few moments, apparently debating which was greater: his ego or his curiosity. Finally, his inquisitive nature won out and he stomped after Aria, shooting Carlos a proper condescending look on the way in. The surfer suppressed the dramatic sigh on the tip of his tongue and followed.

When he reentered, he slowly took a seat next to Aria, as Gordon took a comfortable spot leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. Aria seemed to pick up on the melancholy mood that the Magna Mater was in, as she was eyeing her mentor with concern.

"What's this all about?" She asked gently.

Jimena took a deep breath, knowing that this would be a rather lengthy explanation, "I suppose it would be best to start from the beginning. Have you ever heard the name Eileithyia?"

Aria's eyebrows furrowed, deducting that it was an ancient Greek name in origin, but unable to put a mythological connection to it, "I'm afraid not." She muttered at last.

Jimena nodded understandingly, "It's unlikely that you would. Eileithyia was once a rather important deity, and she was a much loved healing goddess."

Aria tensed. "So?"

"To make the story short, Eileithyia shirked her responsibilities as a goddess when she was supposed to help the nymph Meto with the childbirth of her twins, the Sun and the Moon. The first child born, a girl named Artemis, had to help Meto deliver her second child, Apollo. Because of Eileithyia's cowardly actions, the Greeks forgot about the goddess in favor of Artemis, who did a great deed with helping her mother." Jimena stated.

The healing goddess found herself drawing a comparison between both her and Eileithyia, and not for just matters on powers. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Eileithyia later grew to be ashamed of her choice," Jimena continued, ignoring her question but staring at her pointedly, "And sought to make amends. Eventually, she was given the duty of leading lost children to the light from the darkness, to save their souls from spiteful creatures of Hades." She paused, her gaze flickering to Carlos for a fraction of a second, "But while her new avocation gave her purpose, she still felt as if she owed the moon goddess something in return for her transgression." Jimena gave a brief, wane smile, "That something is you, Aria."

Aria froze, bewildered, "What?"

"You are a Daughter of the Moon, but you are also a Daughter of Eileithyia, and her protected charge. Your services were offered to Artemis to make up for her past hardship, and to carry out one of the most difficult jobs the Daughters of this generation have been assigned." She clarified.

Gordon, who had been standing at the sidelines throughout this, cleared his throat, "Now wait, how the hell do you know this Castillo?"

Jimena yet again looked down at her hands, "Through visions from Selene, mostly. When Aria revealed her powers to me so long ago my theories were confirmed." Her head lifted up, "Have you seen any suspicious figures, Aria? Someone who intervened at the last moment?"

She paled, her mind going back to the fair woman, "Yes." She whispered.

"I've seen her too," Carlos spoke up, the conversation he had before destroying the old woman now making perfect sense, "She helped me fight the hag, and gave me this." Sheepishly, Carlos pulled down the neck of his tank top to reveal the strange marking he had received.

Upon seeing the brand, Jimena's breath hitched. A flame, with four differently shaped stars held over it. Eileithyia's mark of protection…for her followers. "Carlos! Do you know what that is?" She cried frantically.

He visibly flinched from his mother's outburst, "Um…no?"

Jimena's eyes widened, when suddenly it all fell into place. The strange aura now hanging over her son, the far too coincidental meeting between him and Aria, and now the tattoo. "Carlos…what did you promise Eileithyia?"

Realization dawned upon him as well as he recalled his words to the goddess, "We made a deal, kinda."

"What sort of deal?" Jimena demanded, Aria turning to face him too, not knowing where this was coming from.

"I'm supposed to serve the Magna Mater…which is you, mom," He clarified.

"How could you be so _stupid_?" Jimena hissed, "After all your father and I gave up to keep you **out **of this war-"

"Aria would have died if I hadn't!" He responded angrily, "And I couldn't let that happen to her!"

At those words, all the ire that had accumulated within Jimena seemed to fizzle out and dissolve. Aria stared at him in amazement, drawing a correct assumption.

Carlos, a normal kid even if he had a reincarnated goddess for a mother, had chosen to enter the twisted and outcast lifestyle to save _her. _Aria felt her jaw drop in horror as she recalled all the instances she craved for a regular life, how she felt cheated and wronged because she was deprived of one. She had just inadvertently caused that sort of destiny for Carlos.

"There has to be a way to reverse it," She said quickly, "It isn't fair for him to have this sort of consequence-"

Carlos rolled his eyes at the girl, "Shut up Aria." He said bluntly.

She paused her rant to stare at him in confusion, "What?"

The boy looked at Jimena, then Aria, "I know what I signed up for, and I'm fine with it. I actually _want _to help you guys, something neither of you can comprehend for some bizarre reason."

"It's dangerous, Carlos! You could have a normal life, free from any of this." Jimena reasoned desperately.

"Castillo, the kid's made his choice," Came Gordon, his gravelly voice startling them as he chose to speak up for the first time, "Respect it."

Carlos positively beamed at the cop, "Thanks!"

"I still don't like you," Gordon replied quickly.

Carlos's smile fell a little.

"He doesn't understand, Gordon," Jimena said bitterly, "He doesn't know what happens to people who fight with Selene, he doesn't realize the pain that comes with it."

Carlos opened his mouth to retort, but Gordon beat him to it, "Sure he does." He said calmly.

"What makes you an expert?" Aria blurted.

"Because I've lost people to the Atrox, and I still volunteered," Gordon said, eerily calm as an intensity picked up in his eyes, "And the kid's already lost his mom, in a manner of speaking." He turned to Jimena, "I know you're paranoid, and I don't blame you, he's your only child. Still, he's a grown man, Castillo, and he knows what he wants so don't try to stop him. It will only make things messier in the end."

The ex gangster looked like she wanted to protest, but as the implications of Gordon's words raced through her, she realized she was in the end powerless to stop this all. Her mouth twitched downward, before a sourly uttered, "Fine. For now." escaped.

A stifling awkwardness overcame the room as Jimena tried to collect her composure, Aria stared remorsefully at the ground, and Carlos absent-mindedly traced the pattern on his collar. Gordon, drawing the conclusion that he had to take charge, sighed before turning to Jimena.

"I believe," He started tranquilly, "You were mentioning something to curly about a duty?"

The Magna Mater's fists clenched slightly, "It's both hers and Carlos's now," She said, her voice loosing anger and being replaced with sorrow, "Since he bound himself to Eileithyia."

"What is it?" Aria questioned, unable to contain her anxiety.

She stared at the two children before her, "Your job is to destroy the Guardians of Hades."

The two stared at each other, before Carlos busted out laughing, "That's it?" He wondered.

Jimena sent them a reproachful glare, "It's not that simple. The Guardians of Hades are not all that they appear, since they only exist in spirit form. Their original purpose was to eliminate all the straggling souls that inhabited the banks of the River Styx, those who could not pay the ferryman's fee and were stranded for eternity in purgatory." She shook her head sadly, "But Hades began to use them as his own sort of expendable soldiers. And while they do not seem to have chosen a side between the Atrox and Selene, they will extract revenge for their fallen comrades."

"We fought them already," Aria whispered, "We took out two more of them."

"How?" Jimena asked, her voice portraying her skepticism.

"Carlos…" Aria stumbled a bit.

"I shot one, and Riley's powers destroyed the other one," Carlos said, no waver or shame in his words.

"Then you only destroyed one," She said.

"What?!" The two shouted simultaneously.

"The one you shot wasn't technically destroyed," Jimena explained, "These things exist as malevolent spirits, and when their earthly host is destroyed, they are simply reincarnated."

Aria's mouth ran dry, "You're saying that Kiriak is still alive!" She cried.

"No. The person you fought, Kiriak, is dead. His human body only served as a shell to hold the powers, but whichever force lived within him was only sent back to Hades, waiting to be reborn."

"What about the other two, are they gone?" Carlos questioned, seeming on edge with the thought that there was a whole new Kiriak-esque creature on the way.

"Yes. Since Aria used her powers to purify the soul of the body she attacked, it eradicated them. And your using Riley's empathy caused the spirit to turn on itself," Jimena clarified.

The teenaged healer groaned and hung her head, "This is way too complicated." She mumbled.

Jimena pinched the bridge of her nose, unsure of how to make this easier to understand, "There are seven spirits in total," She attempted, "Named after the ancient counter virtues of the ancient Greeks. Hybris is their leader, and that spirit represents pride and vanity-"

"The old lady?" Carlos asserted.

Jimena nodded, "Then after her there's Acedia, a type of sorrow or gloominess that hangs, causing all motivation to disappear." Both Aria and Carlos pictured the stoic, emotionless face of Suiren, "And after that there's Avarice, greed and hoarding. That would be the one Aria's already destroyed. There's also Ambition, a desire for power and greatness, a total sense of selfishness when in abundance."

"Loki," Aria muttered, thinking of the sly con man with bright orange eyes.

"And finally there's Lust, Wrath, and Envy. All of which are rather self-explanatory." Jimena concluded, "Each one has a different power-"

"Wait a second," Came Gordon, clearing his throat and correcting his posture, "I'm no religious zealot, but even I know those are the seven deadly sins."

Jimena gave a smile devoid of any warmth, "Not quite. The doctrine of the seven sins was first emphasized by Thomas Aquinas, who drew heavily upon old Greek forms of philosophy. That's why a few of them have changed by name. Acedia became Sloth, Hybris turned into Pride, and Ambition transformed into Gluttony."

Gordon's eloquent response was a noncommittal grunt.

Jimena continued, nonplussed, "Anyways, Hades has given each of his servants powers, much like Selene has bestowed upon her Daughters gifts." She sighed, "It won't be an easy task to expel them all, Aria, but it has to be done. They are damned things, that only exist to cause harm to innocent people."

"I see," Aria said softly, not knowing what else to respond with now that all of this had been dumped on her.

"No sweat," Carlos declared far more cheekily, "There's only five of them."

Jimena glared at her son, "Don't underestimate them. They obviously didn't take you seriously, which is why you both are still alive."

"I'm the only one who can stop them, then." Aria reasoned, shifting her stare from the floor to her mentor, "If they have to be purified, my power's the only one that can do anything."

"Not exactly, Riley's gift can destroy them totally, but that's not what we want to happen," Jimena sent her son a dark look, "We want to cleanse them, to give the souls of their hosts a peaceful afterlife. This is something you can only do, Aria, as a charge of Eileithyia, who guides souls between light and darkness."

She exhaled slowly, "Why me? I know it sounds pathetic, but why am I the only one out of all of us with an extra duty?"

"It's not just you. Each Daughter of this generation has a specific task assigned to them, that will be revealed when Selene tells me the time is right," The Magna Mater consoled, "You just happen to be the first to hear the news."

"And you're not alone in this," Carlos supplied, grabbing her hand and interlacing his fingers with hers, "It's my job now, too."

"Unfortunately," Aria whispered, guilt still not leaving her quite yet.

Both Jimena and Gordon's eyes narrowed in on the two teens holding hands, and an understanding look passed between the two adults. Gordon gave a snort, while something bittersweet overcame Jimena, memories flooding from when she was about fifteen years younger, and was in love with a blond surfer named Collin.

"I think that's enough for tonight," She spoke softly, "You two need your rest. And there's still much to discuss, particularly with you, Carlos and why you're in Los Angeles in the first place."

The boy squirmed in his seat, "It's a really long story-"

"Which is why you're going to tell me everything. Tomorrow," Jimena turned to Aria, "The spare key to the apartment is on top of the door ledge, and I'm sure Gordon wouldn't mind giving you both a ride over, would he?" Something ominous leaked into her tone, effectively killing any protest Gordon would have.

"No problem," He grunted out painfully, like something was masticating his leg. He launched himself off of the wall using his foot and fished around in his pockets for a set of keys, "Let's go."

Aria stood up slowly, wobbling slightly on her feet, "Jimena…" She trailed off, not knowing how to address her mentor. She finally settled on a plain, "Thank you. For not doubting me."

Jimena nodded, a ghost of a genuine grin on her face, "I knew you'd pull through, Aria. You're a lot like my old friend Vanessa…" The grin fell and it looked as if she had acquired a bad taste in her mouth, "Just, get some rest, alright?"

She nodded and headed out of the room, following Gordon as he more or less stomped out.

It was just the two of them again, and Carlos leaned over to give his mom an awkward hug, "You're not going to regret my being here, after everything's all done." He promised, resolute, his goofier persona discarded and replaced with something more unwavering.

"It's not that I regret you being here, Carlos, just the reason _why _you're here," Jimena muttered, clenching him tighter against her, "I don't want you hurt." She said quietly.

"Then you better do a good job training me," He retorted, smiling and pulling away. His eyes flickered towards the doorway, "It's all worth it, anyways."

Jimena picked up on the wistful note in his words, and inwardly groaned. Leave it to her son to plunge headfirst into an eternal clandestine war based on an infatuation that so far had only lasted a few hours, "I hope you're right."

He smirked, "I _know _I'm right."

"You better get going, you look like shit," Jimena said crassly in the way that only mothers can talk to their sons- reproachful with hints of underlying threats.

Carlos nodded and turned to go, "I missed you mom," He said clearly before leaving after Aria and Gordon.

Jimena waited until her only child walked out of the door, then sadly said, "I missed you too."

Things were worse, and far better, than they had ever been before.

**OoO**

Ugh! You know, in my outline, I estimated this chapter to only take up about five pages? What an idiot I am! Also, Jimena is supposed to seem a bit hypocritical with her actions towards Carlos as opposed to those towards the other DOTM. It'll be explained a bit more in the next book : D

**Notes:**

The bit about the seven sins being derived from Greek philosophy is actually true ;) I put some research into this idea before I started to use it, the only thing that might be sticky is whether or not Thomas Aquinas was the one who initially introduced it or not. It's something that's been argued quite a bit, whether it was him or Pope Gregory the Great.

Anywho! For clarification purposes, each sin or counter virtue has a color attributed to it, and I used them for each character's eyes .

**Green **is Envy

**Gray or Light Blue **is Acedia

**Red **is Wrath

**Orange **is Ambition

**Yellow **is Avarice

**Purple **is Hybris

and

**Dark Blue **is Lust

Just wanted to share!

**LAST CHAPTER! (unless you want an epilogue preview thingy):** Reunion back at school, Aria comes to a conclusion about herself.

Toodles!

!nym!


	15. Revelation

_Night's Children: Cetera Desunt_

_AN: _Last chapter! Meant to be crazy short. Enjoy, and the epilogue/preview thing will be up soon!

**Chapter Fourteen: Revelation: Back to School**

_Two days later…_

Aria tried desperately to quell the feelings of anxiety as she patiently stood in line to go through the weapons detector. As the teens waiting scuffled along, she stared at the ground and began to twist the edges on the bell sleeves of her white peasant shirt. Her heart was thudding violently against her chest and she had to remind herself to keep her breathing even.

The past two days had been both living hell and a somewhat relief. The day after consulting with Jimena and bringing back her teammates from the brink of soullessness had resulted terribly when Aria was caught sneaking in at about eight in the morning, halfway through the window of the Anderson-Moore's kitchen. Tianna, teary eyed and grasping Aria's amulet in her hand tightly, had given the teenager the biggest scolding of her life, followed by the more passive but still threatening reprimand from her father, who was apparently 'in' on the whole Goddess thing too.

When met with her parents' ruthless interrogation as to why she had disappeared in the middle of the night, Aria had failed to provide an adequate response, only scooping up the necklace from Tianna's hand and securing it firmly around her neck. The look of admiration coming from her mother, and a stern demand that she 'show them her personal freak show' from her father had given a huge sensation of tranquility within Aria. She found comfort in the fact that her family supported her, as it was something most of her fellow Daughters didn't have.

Aria hadn't been in contact with Carlos the past few days, which was understandable, seeing as he and his mother had tons to catch up on. It still unnerved her slightly, as she wanted to hear from the surfer _bum _more than ever, and it was strange how deep of a bond the teens had acquired in such a short amount of time. Who ever thought that being held at gunpoint by a couple of homicidal spirits from Hell would bring two people together? Throw that in, of course, with the inescapable destiny to vanquish evil hopelessness.

She had been more fortunate talking with the other Daughters of the Moon. Even though Riley had still been hospitalized, Imy had exuberantly kept Aria updated on her status, and Tessa had practically harassed Aria into telling the three goddesses about why they were in comas to begin with. Even Gordon had called home a few times to catch up with her, even if it felt like Aria was being interrogated the entire time she talked to him.

It was amazing how a few days and one incredibly insane night had shifted everything Aria thought she knew. A week ago, she would have hung up had any of those people attempted to call her, and there would be no reservations or guilt about it either. Now, she felt oddly connected to the teenaged deities, as well as a new relationship with her parents and her mentor.

_Especially _with her mentor.

…Aria wondered how Jimena would feel when she discovered that her most reluctant charge had a rather massive crush on her (e)strange(d) son.

"Aria! You're holding up the line!" Came a cry from beyond the metal detector.

Startled, Aria's head darted up and she immediately recognized the source of the call. By the entryway stood Yvette, flanked on her right by Amanda. Across the quad, she could see Ian, who was smiling at her. She tensed when she saw the handsome blond, and she felt an odd tugging on her chest. Was it guilt? Or something else? He gave a cheerful wave to her which she awkwardly mimicked, before walking up to the guards.

Shaking her head, she set her bag down on the table for a security personnel to rifle through it, and stepped through the metal detectors, shouldering her purse as soon as she made her way through. Hesitantly, she approached the pair who used to be the most important people in her life.

"Where have you been all weekend?" Demanded Yvette, a look of irritation crossing her perfect features as she crossed her arms over her chest and rose an eyebrow.

"We've been trying to get a hold of you for _hours_," Whined Amanda, gesturing with her sidekick-esque phone for emphasis.

Aria stared and passively evaluated her two…best friends. Yvette was waiting haughtily and arrogant, her dark eyes trained on Aria and waiting instantly for a reply, while Amanda stood there, deciding to fish out some lip gloss from her purse and reapply yet another coat on her rather heavily-made up face. For once, Aria was staring at the two from an outsider's perspective, and she had to wonder why exactly she was friends with these two in the first place. Sighing to herself, she offered a rather fake smile.

"Sorry, I was grounded this weekend," It wasn't necessarily untrue. Tianna was still rather livid about the attempted runaway scheme.

Yvette's eyes widened, "Oooh, what did you do?"

Aria shrugged, still trying to play the nonchalant card even though she desperately wanted to go to class- an extremely odd occurrence for her, "Got caught sneaking back in."

Amanda stared at her, blinking owlishly, "Where did you go?"

"More importantly, where did you go _without us?_" Yvette added, grinning rather devilishly, "Out with Ian?"

Aria grimaced slightly, something that didn't go totally unnoticed by her two friends, "Not exactly." She mumbled, she paused when she saw Ian heading towards them in her peripheral vision, "I better get going, or I'm going to be late for math." She continued, carefully shoving passed the two teens who stood there gaping at her retreating back.

"What is _with _her?" Amanda demanded waspishly.

Yvette snorted, "It's like she's a completely different-"

"Hey, where'd Aria go?" Questioned Ian innocently as he approached the two, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he watched her walk further away, entering the school building and disappearing.

Amanda turned on him, "Did you guys get into a fight or something?"

His mind rewound to the incident in the mall cafeteria a few days ago, "No, not really."

"What do you mean 'not really'?" Yvette pressed.

Ian tensed, the uneasy feeling he always got around those two resurfacing, "We didn't get in a fight, she just seems kind of stressed out lately-"

"Ugh, typical," Amanda cut him off, tossing her long hair over her shoulder and pointing at him, "_You _go talk to her then." She ordered.

Ian, thankful for the opportunity to get away from the harpies, nodded, "Sure." He said, hoisting his backpack over both his shoulders and heading towards the school as quickly as he could.

"Ask her if she wants to have lunch with us!" Cried Yvette to his back.

Ian rolled his eyes as he pressed open the door. Maybe it was just those two in particular, but he simply couldn't understand girls.

OoO

Aria gave a happy sigh of relief as she collected the last things she needed out of her locker before shutting it with her elbow. If she could make it until lunch without running into either Amanda, Yvette, or Ian she could count the day as a success.

Aria knew that Ian was a nice guy, and she supposed underneath the multiple layers of superficiality and mascara, Amanda and Yvette were good people too, but she just wasn't ready for a confrontation with any of them yet. She had spent almost the entire school year pretending to be something she wasn't, and now that she was beginning to accept her own destiny, she wasn't quite sure how to combine the two worlds. She couldn't truly be herself around Amanda and Yvette, and she couldn't face Ian without feeling a terrible amount of guilt. While they had never been actually dating, she couldn't help but think that her kissing Carlos was some mark of betrayal.

Not that she regretted kissing him. No, not at all. Carlos had something that Ian lacked, what it was, Aria wasn't quite certain, but she felt truly at ease around her mentor's son, whereas with Ian it continuously felt as if she were walking on tacks. As cheesy as it sounded, Aria simply connected on an entirely different level with Carlos than she had with Ian, but she didn't have the heart to tell Ian about him yet. At least, not until she could phrase the situation delicately, without Ian getting hurt.

"Spacing out again?" Came a voice directly over her shoulder.

Well, crap.

Aria exhaled slowly, "Hi, Ian."

She cautiously glanced at her side, where Ian had fallen into stride with her, and she tensed slightly, her fingers gripping her notebooks with a bit more intensity than usual. She didn't have the motivation, nor mental stability if she were honest with herself, at the moment to have the dreaded 'it's not you, well, kind of not you, it's mostly me and the new guy' talk.

He smiled at her, and the fluttering sensation that would grip her chest, while still present, was not nearly as strong as it used to be, "Feeling alright?"

She gave the hugest fake smile known to the history of man, "Yep! Never better!" She said, inching away from him slightly, walking directly alongside the wall.

Ian's warm brown eyes stared at her for a moment, before he tentatively asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Nope, I'm fine, well this is my class!" Aria spluttered, turning and heading into the nearest empty room, which was not in fact her class.

"Aria, wait," Ian called, grabbing her arm lightly, pulling her back from the doorway, "Did I do something wrong?"

Aria felt the crushing guilty feeling coming back as she stared at his bemused face, "No, why do you ask?"

"We have our first class together," He said flatly, his hand dropping away from her arm, "What's wrong with you Aria? Did something bad happen over the weekend or something?"

Aria's thoughts conjured up the mental images of being shot at, strangled, punched, clawed, and almost having her soul sucked out. "No, nothing bad." She coughed awkwardly, "I just got grounded."

Hurt was beginning to take over confusion in Ian's features, as he saw through her pathetic attempts at lying, "I see…" He trailed off before he gave a brilliantly fake grin of his own, "Well, I'm here when you want to talk." He paused, "And Yvette and Amanda want to know if you're going to lunch with them." He added lamely, not sure what to say to her.

Aria gnawed on her lower lip, regret filling her, but she didn't know how else to handle the situation, "I can't today, I have other plans." She responded, "I'm really sorry." She said sincerely, not referring to the lunch outing.

Ian failed to pick up on this, however, "I'm sure they'll get over it," He shrugged, giving another smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, "I'll see you in math." He spoke softly, walking carefully passed her and down the hall.

Aria watched him go, trying to convince herself that she was doing the right thing.

OoO

The rest of the morning flew by incredibly fast, and when the bell for lunch sounded, Aria darted out of her classroom as if she were being pursued by rabid wolves. Well, perhaps not that fast.

After a few minutes of darting behind crowds in order to avoid Amanda and Yvette, Aria finally found herself outside, walking hesitantly between the rows of trees that framed the revered 'Smoker's Alley' of Turney High. While a few of the more…delinquent students gaped at her in shock, not used to seeing Ms. Queen of Turney walking amongst them mere commoners, they quickly scoffed and turned back to whatever they were doing. Aria rubbed her arms, feeling terribly self-conscious with all the stares she was receiving, but shook it off as she reached the end of the alley.

Turning to the other side of the trees, she could hear their voices sounding.

"That's mine!" Came an angry female voice, followed by some scuffling noises.

"You snooze, you loose," Replied a jeering tone, contributed with some chewing sounds.

"But that was the last spring roll!" Protested the earlier voice, pouting now.

"Both of you should really just learn to share," Contributed a monotone female in exasperation.

Aria exhaled slowly and turned towards a secluded section of school grounds, and she wasn't quite surprised at what she saw there.

Sitting on a checkered picnic blanket, were none other than Riley, Imy and Tessa. Currently, Tessa was holding a half-devoured spring roll with chopsticks to her mouth, while Imy watched, eyeing the bit of food with a comically intense longing. To the side, Riley was sprawled out serenely, arms folded beneath her head as she stared at the clouds in the sky.

Since she went unnoticed, Aria continued to observe them. Almost all the signs of the turmoil the three girls had gone through had vanished, excepting a few bandages peeping out from under the cover of Riley's oversized long john shirt. Tessa and Imy were back to their playful selves, now fighting over the remaining rice in an intense chop stick battle. It struck Aria harshly then just how much those three girls looked like sisters, like a family.

An even more intense feeling came when Aria realized that she now wanted to be included in that.

As if sensing Aria's emotional revelation, Riley's eyelids lazily flew open, "You're late," Was all she said calmly, "I'm afraid they may have eaten most of the food."

Hearing Riley's greeting, Imy paused her stabbing session and grinned happily, "Took you long enough!" She chirped, before she looked down at the carton and paled when she realized Tessa had snuck even more food away.

Aria carefully sat down, opposite of Tessa and next to Imy. "Sorry, I had to hide from Yvette and Amanda."

Tessa's angelic features twisted into disgust, "Erugh, I don't even go to this school and I can't stand them." She muttered, "It amazes me how you can."

The healer just gave an impish smirk and shrugged, "People grow on you."

Tessa gave her a knowing look before handing Aria a pair of chop sticks and a carton of noodles, "Yeah, I guess you're right." She muttered.

Aria graciously took the carton and gave her first real smile of the day.

Imy cleared her throat and stood up, "Alright, so, to celebrate the return of everyone from the hospital…" She trailed off, making her voice even more exaggerated like a professional announcer's, "I proclaim this delectable meal of second-rate oriental food free for all!" She declared with flourish, brandishing her chop sticks in the air.

The three of them eyed her for a few seconds before bursting out in laughter.

"You are such a dork," Tessa mumbled, snatching the carton of chow mein from Imy, who, having finally grown frustrated, pressed her hand against the picnic cloth and squinted in concentration. In a few seconds, the containers with food still in them vanished in a circle of white light before they all miraculously appeared on Imy's side.

"Cheater!" Proclaimed Tessa, reaching over and grabbing as many as she could.

Imy stuck out her tongue and began to rapidly inhale her food.

Yet again sighing, Riley turned her gaze to the only other sane one in the group, "Fortune cookie?" She asked bluntly, "It's probably all that'll be left in a few minutes."

Grinning, Aria picked one up, unwrapping it gingerly. She cracked the wafer precisely in the middle, and withdrew the slip of paper from within. Her eyes scanned the message and the corners of her mouth twitched into yet another smile.

"What's yours say?" Riley questioned.

Aria just shook her head and reclined into a languid position matching that of the maroon haired girl's, "Nothing."

The empath stared at her for a moment, before shrugging and lying back down. The two of them just vegging out and ignoring the epic battle going on between the blonde and brunette.

Aria relaxed, and all of her troubles and anxieties seemed to fly away in the calm breeze that floated through, much like a small slip of paper which read _"You do not find happiness, happiness finds you."_

Everything was going to get better.

Aria could feel it.

After all, she had her family.

**OoO**

And that's the end!

What goes on with Carlos and Jimena will be explained in the next book, a side story called _Meliora _which is in Jimena's point of view.

Preview thing (I really need a better name for that, don't I?) coming up! I'm doing it in a slightly different style than the one in _Nox Noctis _so I hope you like it!

Review and I'll love you forever!

!nym!


	16. In the Shadows, Acteus Reus

_Night's Children: Cetera Desunt_

_AN: _The Epilogue has nothing to do with the main storyline of _Cetera Desunt, _but rather touches on what the 'bad guys' are doing during this time. Mentions events that happened in _De Rerum Natura, _but I think you can figure it out without having to read it : D Takes place after the _Penance Part Two _chapter.

**Epilogue: In the Shadows…**

December was not pleased. Her lithe arms were crossed over her chest, her legs crossed, causing her black skirt to rise and revealing fishnetted thighs, as her glare pierced through the man she was staring at. The upbeat, high-energy music that filtered through the air did little to quell her rising fury as she practically snarled at the figure sitting across from her. Isaac merely scowled, running a hand through his grimy black hair as he leaned casually back in the chair, his left hand holding a bottle of beer that he continued to nurse.

"This is all your fault," December said finally, her tone icy enough to do justice to her name.

Isaac snorted, "_My _fault? I'm not the one who lied to Yvonne of all people."

"What was I supposed to say?" She hissed between clenched teeth, "That you _lost _the Prince of the Night?!"

"_I _didn't loose him," Isaac responded, ire drenching his words, "Bastard's been taking off all the damn time, I can't be his babysitter!"

"Funny," Commented December caustically as she dug out a cigarette from her bra and lit it with her butane lighter, trying to soothe her frazzled nerves, "I remember that being _exactly _what Yvonne ordered you to do."

Isaac frowned, "Piss off, December, he's the Prince of the Night, he can do what he wants-"

"No you bloody moron, he can't. Your assignment was to make sure he followed through on his orders from the Atrox, and converted those two stragglers," She muttered, exhaling somewhat calmly, even though the knuckles on the fingers that held the cig were strained white.

Isaac's blue eyes stared at her coldly, "Zahi wouldn't be alive now if a certain _someone _hadn't helped the little whelp _servus,_" He spat, glaring at her pointedly, "Don't tell me you've gone soft, December. First that botched up _Lecta _attempt and now this? It's a wonder how you've avoided being outcasted."

Dangerously, she shifted forward, "Look asshole, just because you're on your way out of Yvonne's circle doesn't mean you get to talk to me like that." Her upper lip twitched into a sneer, "I could kill you." Her tone was lethal and entirely serious.

Isaac regarded her for a moment warily, before he burst out laughing, "I'd look forward to seeing you try," He said, just as deadly.

"Would either of you idiots please explain to me why I don't see the Incinti's chosen leader here with you," Came a feminine voice that made both of the Followers abandon their argument.

Abruptly, December shot out of her seat, her hands smoothing imaginary wrinkles on her skirt, "Yvonne-!"

The blonde haired Immortal stared at them crossly, elegant hands resting on perfect hips. Her golden hair was curled into ringlets, but despite the innocent feel it was supposed to achieve, it only seemed to make her more intimidating, "What the hell is going on?" She posed quietly, making sure both of her underlings could feel the darkness swelling around her.

Isaac paled, and set his beer down on the table, "Don't get mad, Yvonne, he said he'd meet us here at The Dungeon-"

"Funny, as he is noticeably absent." Their leader replied, "Your job was to assist Trysten in his training, and _you,_" With this her head snapped and stared down December, "Had the _gall _to lie to _me._"

December visibly flinched, holding her hands in the air as a position of surrender, "It's not what it looks like, Yvonne, Isaac said-"

"Don't drag me into this!" He yelled angrily.

"It's **your **fault we don't know where he is!" She retorted.

"I'm right here." Came a flat voice from the shadowed corner of the club's seating area.

The mere presence of the man, a boy really, was enough to make all three of the Immortal Followers tense and dissolve their bickering immediately. Yvonne's wrathful look was replaced by a phony smile and a cheery disposition.

"Ah, Trysten, there you are, we were worried," She supplied smoothly.

December turned around to face her new ruler, as he began to emerge from the darkness. His eyes seemed to constantly glow yellow, his auburn hair had grown a bit longer, now resting unevenly on his shoulders, and his face was cold, indifferent. Dressed simply in black pants and a black button up shirt that was partially undone, he glared at the three. This made even Isaac seem more withdrawn than usual, as he was unable to meet the new Prince of the Night's gaze.

"Where were you?" Yvonne questioned, seemingly innocent, but there was a flash of phosphorous that darted across her crystal blue eyes.

"I hardly see how that is your concern," He replied frostily, his own eyes flickering between the two colors.

Yvonne seemed shocked for a moment, but let it slide. After all, she had put up with this sort of attitude from the boy's father, the son was nothing special, "You've been neglecting your training with Isaac." She said, her tone still light and airy.

Trysten eyed Isaac up and down in evaluation, "That fool has nothing to teach me." He responded, devoid of emotion, as if speaking to a mere insect beneath his notice.

The Regulator's face contorted with fury, "Listen, brat, I've been working with the Atrox since before you were born-"

Isaac was cut off as Trysten released a flare of his inner power, a telepathic warning that had Isaac stumbling slightly from where he stood. "I'm sorry, you were saying something?" He asked languidly, his long fingers tightening into a fist as the darkness seemed to be choking Isaac now, "Or do you require a demonstration?"

"Trysten that's enough," Yvonne demanded sharply, "He may be an insufferable idiot, but he is above you in seniority and you will _not _use the Atrox's own powers to kill one of its Regulators."

Trysten glared at her, his mouth set in a firm, angry line, "I'm above both of you in station and strength. You won't tell me what to do."

December only stood there, morbidly fascinated as she saw how much power the teenager held at his disposal. Isaac was beginning to make gagging sounds.

"Trysten!" Yvonne snapped.

Begrudgedly, Trysten finally released the constricting shadows away from Isaac, who then leaned against the table, bracing himself with his hand and coughing. No one went to help him.

"Have you taken care of Zahi and the servant boy?" The blonde woman forcefully requested, all business and now thoroughly annoyed that one of her subordinates had been practically strangled.

"They'll come in time," He said off-handedly, "When I approached Zahi he seemed ready to crack any moment, and Art's always been weak emotionally. He'll cave and come to us willingly when Zahi falls."

"That's not what the Atrox wants, Trysten, and you know it," Yvonne said in disapproval, "You were supposed to have converted them last week-"

"I won't have you ordering me around much longer, Yvonne." Trysten cut her off, murderous intent gleaming in his now azure eyes.

She merely scoffed, even turning her nose up, "Perhaps, but currently you're just a newly initiated Follower and I'm an Immortal with decades of experience. For now, you have to listen to me."

Trysten trembled in barely restrained fury, the shadows bending and twisting in response to his emotions.

"What about Riley?" December ventured quietly, knowing that the empathetic Daughter of the Moon was also on Trysten's 'hit list'.

At hearing her name, Trysten froze as if he had been slapped, and his features became even more enraged. The shadows started to whip and lash out at anything that came too close to them.

Yvonne snorted, "Who?"

"The _Lecta,_" Isaac said bitterly, staring daggers at the Prince of the Night who ignored him.

The blonde Follower quirked an eyebrow and looked at Trysten expectantly. "Yes, what about the _Lecta?_" She repeated far too sinisterly.

"She'll be the first one I destroy," The Prince stated monotonously, before readily walking away from them, "I need to recharge," He said quickly, turning on his heel and sauntering down towards the dancing area of the club. His eyes were scanning the crowd for potential victims to rob hope from. Not that he needed to search, as immediately all the single girls, and some of the not-so single ones, flocked to his side.

The three remaining Followers watched him leave, Yvonne's normally pristine features drawn together tightly in irritation.

"Arrogant prick," Isaac spat, regarding Trysten with an intense level of loathing.

"He may be a prick, but he's certainly not arrogant," Yvonne corrected coolly, "Do not upset him again, he has no reservations about eradicating any of you."

"As if he could," He disregarded.

Yvonne turned on the Regulator, her tone clipped, "Oh, he could." She spoke harshly, "His power levels are near Stanton's, and he's only been a Follower for a month."

December, who had been rather withdrawn for herself throughout the entire exchange, shuddered slightly, "I'm not sure this whole thing was a good idea."

Yvonne's gaze was trained on the teenager, as he led a quiet, somber looking girl away from the dance floor and towards a secluded corner, his eyes glowing hungrily in the darkness, "No one thinks it's a good idea." She answered, lips pursed, "The whole Cinti is terrified of him. His abilities could quickly grow out of control."

Isaac gaped, "Then why-?"

"Because he's the only one capable of bringing people like Lambert, Tymmie, Jimena, and even Zahi down begging to their knees," She continued, "He will bring triumph for the Atrox, and he will destroy both the Daughters of the Moon and those whelps of _Infidi._" She smirked and said sardonically, "It's his _destiny, _after all. The birth of a child with traitors for parents will plunge the world into darkness."

December shot her a confused stare, "Isn't Riley-?"

"Yes, the _Lecta _is a possible candidate as well." Yvonne sighed, "Which is why she needs to be converted before Tymmie gets his filthy paws on her."

Isaac rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his scrawny chest, "We need to just kill Tymmie, least that bastard deserves, after what he did to Dorian."

December shivered as she recalled the graying, ghastly features of the once handsome, sadistic mind manipulator. His mind had been irreversibly destroyed by Tymmie, so much that even as an Immortal Dorian's body was beyond physical repair. She felt a bitter taste acquire in her mouth when she thought of the power levels held by both Tymmie and Trysten and a tremor of fear filled her involuntarily.

"Things will be getting interesting very shortly, especially since the Day of Atonement is fast approaching," Yvonne turned and faced her two flunkies, "You are both to train, and prepare Trysten during that time." Her voice picked up intensity, "You best be ready, because Hell on Earth is quickly becoming a very real possibility."

December nodded demurely, while Isaac gave a more jerky dip of his head, obviously not fond of having to spend more time with the Prince of the Night.

"Keep an eye on him," Yvonne continued, swiveling on her heel and beginning to walk towards the VIP section of The Dungeon, reserved for the higher-ranking Followers only, "He's dangerous."

With that, the blonde Immortal vanished into the night, leaving December and Isaac to speculate on just what kind of monster Trysten would become.

**OoO**

Incredibly Short Preview for Book Four: _Acteus Reus_

Jimena looked up at the clock that hung on the wall opposite her living room, "I think that's been enough Daughter business for today. You girls are good to go," She stood up and stretched again, "I understand that you're all heading over to Imy's for dinner?"

Imy groaned and pressed a hand against her face, "I'm really sorry about all this," She mumbled, "It's just…Aunt Emily and Uncle Sledge always make me incredibly uncomfortable when they're over…" She trailed off and made a face, "And their spawn is just _horrible._"

"Nothing to be sorry about!" Beamed Tessa as she heaved her rather massive purse over her shoulder, "It's either an awkward dinner at your place, or a TV dinner at mine, since I can't cook and Ezra's working late tonight."

Riley gave her best friend a rather reproachful look, "And their daughter is not a 'spawn'." She said calmly, having been over to the Ormonds' multiple times for dinner and having already met their old friends from high school.

The group of four made their way towards the door, Riley lagging slightly to tell Jimena when she'd be home.

"Bye girls," They heard from Jimena as they reached the hallway of the apartment building, "Have fu-uhn," The way their mentor said the word 'fun' put them all instantly on edge.

Aria stared at Tessa and Imy, "Is there something I should have known before I accepted the invite?" She asked, somewhat paranoid as they walked towards the stairway.

Imy huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, "Emily and Sledge-"

"What kind of name is 'Sledge' anyway?" Tessa mused out loud to no one in particular.

"-are both friends of my dad's from high school," Imy rolled her eyes, "And mom's constantly jumpy when they visit, since Emily and dad used to date or something. It's just painful to watch. She goes so far out of her way to prove to them that we're normal, but she overdoes it. You'll see."

"What's up with the spawn thing then?" Aria questioned, curious.

"Their daughter, Tatum." Riley said simply, catching up to them as she shrugged on her worn, flannel coat.

"What about her?" Tessa inquired suspiciously.

"Emily and Sledge have two children. Tatum is our age-" Riley tried to explain.

"And a real bitch," Imy grumbled.

Riley just gave the tinniest of sighs to express her annoyance, but Imy was well attuned to Riley's expressions, or lack thereof. "What? You don't think she's the devil incarnate?"

The empath shrugged, "She seems…polite."

"To you! She's phony as hell, and she gets me into trouble **all **of the time!"

Aria smirked as the group exited the building, "No offense, Imy, but you seem to manage that just fine on your own."

"She has a point," Tessa agreed.

Imy's mouth twitched downwards, "Just wait, you'll hate her too."

**OoO**

Here's the summary for the next story, I'll be posting it next week!

_Night's Children: Meliora_

_Always Better._

Jimena was once the toughest goddess, and the duty of the Magna Mater hasn't dulled her fighting abilities. So when a co-worker turns out to be a demon, let's just say it's not only the Daughters who get all the fun.

**OoO**

**Le end!**

**Major thank yous to all the readers, and QUADRUPLE (gasp!) thank yous to all the reviewers! You guys are the Mac to my Cheese…or something!**

**Also, I'll be putting a pronunciation guide on my profile under the NC section for character names if anyone's confused : )**

**See you all in the next book!**

**!nym!**


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